Gryffindor and Slytherin
by PsychicOtaku182
Summary: It's Hary's second year at Hogwarts and strange things are happening, even by Hogwarts' standards! How will Harry cope with an incompetent teacher, a monster that's petrifying students, and two new friends, one in Gryffindor and one in Slytherin!
1. Queer

Hi! This story is a joint project between myself and a friend (who is not of Fanfiction) who lives quite a ways away. Please be kind and review.

I don't own HP, it's JK Rowlings dollhouse, I just play with the dolls.

Flames will be used for practicing pyrokenetic abilities in a controlled lab environment.

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Belladona Basilixs was a queer girl, and she liked it that way. Even in the world of witches and wizards she was unique. Her appearance was whatever she wanted it to be, and her sense of dress was eccentric due to its muggle origins.

She lived in a large Manor known as the Flying Palace, and indeed it was a 'flying' palace. One day the house might be nestled in the German Alps, the next in the forests of exotic China.

She lived there with her sisters in all but blood, Ariay Phoenix and Ju Lee. Together, the two almost eleven-year-old girls, and their eight-year-old companion held sway over a small army of dedicated house-elves.

Unlike most house-elves, these house-elves, though not free, were given pocket money and had uniforms.

Belladona's father, Devon, was legally the guardian of the intelligent three, but he was always so busy with work and so ill-disposed to seeing his daughter, that he was never home. Ariay's parents, Matthew and Merope, were both dead, as was Bella's mother, Cicilia. Neither Ariay's parents, nor Bella's mother, had lived to see the first birthday of their children.

In looks and temperaments, the girls were near polar opposites. Bella, with her naturally raven black silk hair and killing curse green eyes, was of a sarcastic and condescending nature. Ariay, on the other had, with rich burgundy hair and gold colored cat eyes, was of a sweet and caring disposition. Their styles were different. At first glance, Bella was a lady of the early Victorian era, or perhaps, if it suited her mood, dressed in similar a manner to prep school boys, whereas Ariay looked as though she would be most comfortable at a skate park or a rock concert.

However, the two friends bore a great deal of affection to one another. Because of their similar predicaments, one orphan, one as good as orphan; and their similar interests, they were as close, and often times closer than natural sisters.

On this particular morning, tucked snuggly into the Italian countryside sat the Flying Place. Its occupants were all awake, and already busy. It was a strange matter, that though the birthday of the two elder was October 31st, they were accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for that year.

The plan was that they would finish what little business they had left in Italy and head home, to England, more specifically to Yorkshire. And so, by dusk, they were ready to go, and they were off.

Meanwhile, in England, at number 4 Privet Drive, Harry Potter escaped his relatives in a flying car, piloted by three boys with flaming red hair.

A Few Days Later…

"What did he say?" Mrs. Weasley asked her husband, as Harry disappeared in a swirl of green.

"Driagon Alley, I think." He replied, worried that something might happen to the unofficial member of the Weasley family.

Knockturn Alley…

Bella swept threw the crowd, her black ringlets bouncing, skirt swaying with each step as her button up boots clicked briskly on the cobblestone path. Her destination was Borgin and Burkes, and though she disliked dealing with what truly was a form of petty thievery, she knew that Borgin was a useful man in business, even if she did despise the pawn trade.

It startled her, of course, when her keen eyes saw Harry Potter scrambling to get out of the store before Mr. Borgin came out of the back, but instead, he was forced to hide in a cabinet, for Malfoy and his brat (oh, what was his name?) had just entered.

She slipped in behind with practiced ease and with her usual skill, slipping an invisibility cloak to Potter to create an illusion of invisibility. Malfoy was selling, she noted, somewhat satisfied to see the slimy pig squirm under Ministry pressure. She'd have to thank Arthur Weasly if she ever met the man.

Oh! How much easier she breathed after the dratted man and his anal twit of a son left. It made everything so much easier. She walked around the cabinet, as though examining it with the intent, perhaps, of purchasing the thing.

"I'm going to open this, and you're going to step out. You'll follow me closely until we're safely out of Knockturn Alley and then you'll find whoever it is you're here with, got it?" She whispered.

"Yes." Harry whispered back, and Bella opened the cabinet, being sure to give him room to get by with out tripping.

"Oh, good afternoon, Ms. Dona." Mr. Borgin greeted her in his oily voice.

"Has my order arrived yet?" She inquired, browsing the shelves with disdain.

"No, not yet. Should be in next Wednesday." He replied.

"Hm. I see coming was a waste of time. Ah well, I might as well bid you good day, Mr. Borgin." And with that, she and Harry swept out of the shop.

They walked the dark and somewhat twisted path till they emerged at last on Diagon Alley.

"There. Now, try not to get into trouble, green-eyes." Bella said, dusting the now visible boy off.

"'Arry!" A loud booming voice called.

They both turned.

"Hagrid!" Harry called, before being swept into a bone-crushing hug by the giant, much to the amusement of Bella.

"I'll see you around, Potter!" She called, before sashaying off to meet Ariay at Flourish and Blots. Bella smiled. Harry Potter. What a small world they lived in.

That evening…

The Flying Palace…

"What a day! Fie on that fool!" Bella cursed, stamping her foot on the floor. Ariay scowled as well.

"You would think he was God with the way he acted!" She groused, flinging herself into an armchair by the fire.

"Indeed! And to think, that brainless, spineless, fop is to be our Defense professor!" Bella sighed and gratefully accepted a cup of tea from the house-elf. "With any luck, some horrid sort of monster will find it's way onto the grounds, and rather than warding the thing off, that fool will make it angrier!" She continued, calming down some as she indulged in a rich after-dinner tea.


	2. 9 and 34

Please review! (p.s. None of this story is really betaed! it's just for enjoyment, and neither myself nor my friend really look at the grammar, we're just happy to hear from one another and get the ideas for the story.)

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SEPTEMBER 1st …

"Come on Ron, it's our turn." Harry said, as he and his best friend lined their trolleys up in front of the barrier.

"Right. On three; one, two, and three!" The boys raced towards the barrier before crashing into the wall. People stared at the boys as they struggled to heft their trunks back onto the trolleys.

"Bloody Hell!"

"What do those freaks think they're doing?"People whispered. Freaks. How Harry hated that word.

"For heaven's sake! You would think they would learn to oil the wheels on those bloody carts!" A sharp voice lamented loudly, before a pair of small hands appeared in Harry's line of vision. The owner of the thin black-gloved hands was none other than the girl who had helped him out of Borgin and Burkes. Next to him, Ron was being aided by a burgundy haired girl wearing dark-washed jeans, an over-sized Iron Maiden band shirt, and a black trench coat.

"Are you alright, green eyes?" The black haired girl next to him inquired.

"Yes, fine." Harry said, noticing for the first time the girls' trolleys. "Hogwarts?" He inquired softly, noting the owls in their cages.

"Yes." She replied, placing her hand gently on the barrier and pushing. "Hm. All right, come on boys, out side." She said, taking charge of the situation. Ron shrugged, before they followed her.

Once outside, she led them to an out of the way section where there was no one.

"Adrian!" She called, and with a soft 'CRACK!' a small house elf stood in front of them. Unlike Dobby, this house-elf wore clothes, a pair of navy slacks, white shirt, robin's egg waistcoat, and a dark blue frock coat.

"Yes, Milady?" He asked in a thin reedy voice.

"Adrian, I need you to take all of us," she motioned her hand towards the whole group, "to the platform. The barrier is blocked and we really don't want to go through any trouble."

"Yes ma'am." The elf bowed, and with a snap of his fingers, the four children and their trolleys were standing upon the platform.

"That was good." Ron whispered to Harry, "I was afraid we'd have to take the car."

Harry nodded, before turning to thank the girl, but once again, she was gone, along with her burgundy haired companion. Harry shrugged, they were going to the same place, and he'd get the chance to thank her later. What had Borgin called her? Ms. Dona? Harry ran over to where Mrs. Weasley was. He'd remember it later, right now; he had to get on the train.

"Harry! Ron! There you are!" Harry turned just in time to catch Hermione as she barreled into him.

"Lo' 'mione." Harry said, returning his bushy haired friend's hug.

"I saved us a spot on the train!" And with that she dragged Harry and Ron onto the train.

"Bye Mum!" Ron called, as the train began to pull away from the station, after they'd all gotten settled in.

"Bye Mrs. Weasley!" Harry waved good-bye as well.

"Good-bye Ron, bye Harry. Good-bye, Ginny dear! Have fun at school. And BEHAVE!" She yelled, more to the Twins than any one else.

"So, how was the rest of your summer?" Hermione asked, as they settled in for the ride.

And so they told her. Hermione listened intently to the boys when they told her about the blocked barrier and the girl that helped them on. Her curiosity was piqued by the subjects of house-elves, but her main concern was the barrier.

"This is very serious." She said, rifling around in her bag. "After all, if something was preventing students from getting to school, the headmaster should know."

"Well, if we have any more problems, I'll tell McGonagall." Harry assured her, as they stepped out of their compartment and into the main hall to purchase some snacks from the trolley.

The trio looked up as the door to the compartment across the train was flung open and two girls stormed out, apparently in the midst of a heated argument.

"For the love of Salazaar, Ariay, you must be insane!" The one had silver hair and emerald green eyes, and the other was the black haired girl's companion, Harry was sure.

"Just because I have no sense of self-preservation doesn't mean that you have to get on my back about it!" The redhead shot back.

"Oh indeed! So you want to be six-feet-under?" the girl flicked her strange silver locks

over her shoulder irritably, as if the motion might prove her point.

"I just don't like seeing people get hurt or killed!" the cat eyes flashed.

"Indeed! I would have thought that was apparent when you were rolling out of the way of

of the Second bloody train!" The silver-haired girl nearly snarled.

"What was I to do? Let the poor girl be killed?!" Her companion shrieked.

"No! You were supposed to tell me so that I could formulate a plan." It was like watching

a tennis match, Harry thought idly, as the banter continued.

"Well I wasn't going for a bloody plan, either she got hit or not!"

"Oh sweet Salazaar! How many time have I made a plan in two seconds to save your

sorry ass?"

"Well we didn't have the time and it wasn't my ass that needed saving!"

"That's just plain stupid and you know it!"

"Stupidity seems to be inherited by my family and it's saved a lot of lives!"

"But never your own!"

"I'm still alive, aren't I" The other girl said nothing, prompting the one with cat eyes to

comment. "What, no snappy comeback?"

"It didn't warrant a comeback, it was to stupid."

"I just think that you don't have it in you to admit that I'm right!"

The girl with the silver hair burst into a fit of giggles, which she promptly tried to turn

into coughing.

"Shut up!"

"Pumpkin pasties or Cauldron cakes?" The silver haired girl asked, once her snickers had

subsided.

"I prefer chocolate fro- wait a minute! Why are you changing the subject?"

"I'm hungry."

"That's beside the point! You were just screaming about my saving that girls life and

now you're avoiding the subject!"

"I don't avoid, I merely refuse to address." The silver haired girl turned, "Ten chocolate

frogs and two butter beers, please."

"But…"

"What are you doing, taking up the entire corridor with your Mudblood, Potter?" asked a

pale figure with a drawling voice. Draco Malfoy spared a glance in the direction

of the two girls.

"She's a better witch than you are!" snarled Ron, fists balled and ready to fight.

"Obviously, because I'm a wizard, not a witch." Malfoy looked smug.

"You're also not smart enough to come up with anything better, are you?" the girl with the cat eyes said, unwrapping a chocolate frog. "Hey look! I got Godric Gryffindor!"

"And you were asked by whom?" Malfoy all but snarled.

"Nobody asked us, we're just doing humanity a favor by deflating that ego of yours." The

silver hair was tossed rather carelessly over the other girls shoulder again. Malfoy flushed

and sent a glare at the two young witches, sending the Duo into peals of laughter.

"And you are?" Hermonie asked.

"I'm Belladonna Basilixs and-" the girl with the silver hair was cut off by Ron.

"Just what we need, another pompous Pure-blood Slytherin!"

"First, I haven't been sorted yet. Second, if I'm pompous then Blondie here," She jerked

her thumb towards Malfoy "is a Hufflepuff! And third! You're one to talk! If that hair is

any indication, you're a Weasley!"

"And what if I am?!"

"Nothing, it means absolutely nothing. Except that you're a dirty little hypocrite!" Bella

half snarled. " Come on, let's get out of here before I hurt some one."

"Wait! They don't know my name yet!" the redhead cried, still holding the Chocolate

frog card in her hand.

"And what is your name?" Draco drawled, trying and failing to sound as if he actually cared.

"It's Ariay Ph-" the redhead was cut off as her friend tried to drag her into the compartment.

" Come on, Ariay, they don't need to know, it's not like they care any way." Bella dragged Ariay into the compartment, a soft swishing noise the only indication that a spell had been cast, keeping the Trio and Malfoy out of the compartment.


	3. Train rides

The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful. A few minutes after the incident in the corridor, which had led to Ron explaining to Harry and Hermione exactly what 'Mudblood' meant, the burgundy haired girl from across the corridor entered.

"I'm sorry about Bella. She tends to get a little peevish when she's worried. And the fact that Weasley called her a 'pompous pure-blood Slytherin' was somewhat irritating. After all, she hasn't been sorted, she's certainly not pompous (that applies to Minister Fudge well, though), and Weasley is a pure-blood as well." She sat down next to Hermione.

"It's fine. Ronald needs to learn to think before opening his mouth." Hermione sent him a meaningful glare, and Ron had the good grace to look a little embarrassed.

"Didn't I see you with that black haired girl that helped Ron and I get on the platform?" Harry inquired, tossing Hermione a chocolate frog before offering the burgundy haired girl one.

"Yes. That was Bella." The girl noticed their stunned faces, and continued. "Bella's a, well, essentially she's a metamorphmagi." She said. "By the way, my name's Ariay."

"A metamorphmagi! Do you think she'd let me see her change her appearance?" Hermione asked.

"Excuse me," Harry interjected, "what's a metamorphmagi?"

"A witch or wizard that can change their features." Hermione explained, before turning back to Ariay eagerly.

"I don't see why not. It's not like Bella hides it. She changes her features really just for something to do sometimes." Ariay said.

The door slid open once again and Bella entered.

"I hate to interrupt," She said, "but our things are in the other compartment and we should change into out robes now."

"Okay! Bella, this is Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, and Harry Potter. Everyone, this is Belladona." Ariay said.

"Yes. It's a pleasure to meet most of you." She said with a glare to Ron.

"The felling is mutual." Ron growled. Bella fixed him with a look, and within a few minutes he was squirming under her dark green eyes.

"See you all later. Stay out of trouble, green-eyes!" She said, with chuckle at Ron's expense as she swept out.

"Wow! A metamorphmagi!" And the short time left till their arrival was spent changing and talking about what they hoped to do this year.

At the Castle…

Harry sat at the Gryffindor table, hoping that the sorting would go quickly. He was hungry, and Ron was complaining about his stomach being empty.

The first years were led in, and Harry spotted the two from the train.

The sorting hat twitched, and began to sing.

"Oh! What a wondrous evening!

Despite the rainy skies!

For here I sit, to sort you, into the house you need

There are four houses in which you may find

Your friends and life-long fellows!

There's Ravenclaw, with brainy folk!

And Hufflepuff the caring house!

But maybe it's not either of those in which you find yourself?

There's Gryffindor of chivalry and valiant deeds be done,

And Slytherin the cunning folks with plans and schemes a plenty.

So try me on, don't be afraid! For the four created me,

And so it is my job for now and all eternity

As long as tall, fair Hogwarts stands, and children learn within

I shall fulfill my duty as it has always been.

I'll put you in your proper house, so please do not be shy!

I'll look inside your little minds to see where you must go

And never tell a single soul what all that I was shown.

Come, come sit down, and put me on

It's time for me to end this song!"

The hall burst into cheering and the list was read off.

"Basilixs, Belladona!" Professor McGonagall's voice rang out, causing the Hall to go silent. Bella detached herself from the other first years, her silver colored hair sparkled as she walked with cat-like grace up to the stool, confidence rolling off of her in waves. Slowly, the hat was lowered until-

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat had barely touched her head. So loud and so quickly had her sorting gone that the professor nearly dropped the hat. The girl stood up and walked over to Ariay. She held her hand out, palm up.

"That would be 5 galleons for the House, 2 for the length of time, and 3 for the teacher's reaction." Ariay huffed, but placed 10 galleons into Bella's hand.

"Pleasure doing business with you." And with that, Bell went to sit at the Slytherin table.

The sorting continued until "Phoenix, Ariay!" and Ariay walked up to the stool, less confidence than Bell, but more that most.

Four minutes later…

"Sly- no, GRYFFINDOR!"

"Ha! That's another 3 galleons for the length of time, 2 for the fact that it started to say Slytherin, and 5 for the actual House itself!" Ariay groaned and Bell laughed. Trudging over to the Slytherin table, Ariay counted 10 galleons into Bell's hand before making her way over to Gryffindor table for the rest of sorting, which went on as normal.

Harry shook his head. The two were obviously good friends. They had known where they'd end up, and accepted it. He scooted down to make a little room for Ariay. A few minutes later, Ginny joined them, sitting on the other side of the table next to Ron.

"Smug Snivelrin!" Ariay groused playfully, mock glaring a Bella, who was glaring daggers at Malfoy, and hence, didn't notice.

"Don't feel bad, Ariay." Harry said, dishing his plate, "I'm sure Bella wishes she was over here with us. After all, she is sitting next to Malfoy, and she doesn't look to happy about it." He handed Ariay the bread rolls, and when the group trudged into the Common Room, Harry felt at home. He quickly burrowed under the covers of his four-poster bed, and went to sleep.


	4. New day

The next morning dawned a dull, cloudy grey, though the storm had now passed. Ariay walked into the Great Hall and looked around, finally spotting Belladona sitting at the Slytherin table. Humming as she walked, Ariay made her way over to the table and sat down next to her best friend, who was currently reading the Daily Prophet.

"Is there some reason why a Gryffindork is sitting over here?" A second year with a pug nose asked.

"Stuff it, Parkinson. Ariay, pass me the treacle will you?" Bella said, irritation coloring her voice. "We have double potions together, first period."

"I hate potions!" Ariay moaned, passing the glass bottle of treacle.

"You do not. You just don't like the fact that the teacher is unfairly biased against Gryffindors."

"Excuse me, but you do realize that the Gryffindor table is over there, right?" The pale blonde next to Bell said in a bored, drawling voice.

"Yeah, and your point is?"

"My point is that you belong over there."

"Malfoy go snog a mirror, will you! Gezz, Ariay, this is Draco Malfoy. Malfoy, this is Ariay, but you aren't good enough to call her that, so to you she's Phoenix. Got it?" Bella handed the schedule to her friend.

"You do realize that this will be your last time insulting him, right?" Ariay said, unfolding the schedule to read.

"You're more than welcome to insult him the rest of the time. But you have to admit, it wouldn't have been as good if you'd done it."

"True. Any way, oh look! We learn how to fly on Wednesday!" Ariay cheered.

"Oh goody." Bella said dryly. "Lets go, we need to find the class room."

"What?! But we still have twenty minutes!" Ariay cried, obviously in no hurry to get to potions.

"That's why we need to find the class room. If you're still hungry, grab a couple of muffins and lets go!" Bella said, grabbing her bag and heading for the door.

"But, but.." Ariay looked at Bella pleadingly.

"No but's. Lets go, alright?"

"Alright."

"Stupid Gryffindors…" Draco muttered, glaring at Ariay.

"I sincerely hope that Ariay was the only one you were talking about, because if you called me a Gryffindor, then I can assure you that Madam Pomfrey will have a bed with your name on it, PERMINATLY!!" Bella snarled, before the doors slammed shut with an impressive 'BANG!'

"Somehow," Harry said, pouring treacle into his porridge, "I get the feeling that this might just be the most terrifying, entertaining, and all around abnormal, even by wizarding standards, year ever."

"Scarily enough, mate," Ron said, staring at the door, "you might just be right."

Of course, Harry mused, watching the Twins, there were still five years of schooling left, six really, since the second year had only just began. Perhaps something would happen in later years to make him eat those words. Nah!


	5. Reflections

Next chapter coming soon! PLEASE REVIEW!!!

I need a better name for this.

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Bella sighed and threw herself back into the black armchair she had claimed as her own. So far they had had double Potions, Flying, Charms, Herbology, Transfiguration, and Astronomy, they had also had Defense against the Dark arts. Or rather, Let's-all-celebrate-Lockhart. She gagged. She knew that the job was cursed(supposedly) and that Lockhart was the only one who'd applied, but come on! Lockhart! That man wouldn't know a werewolf from a Chihuahua!

On the subject of teachers, there was Severus Snape, Madam Hooch, Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Vestra. Snape was her Head of House. He was dour, with a hooked nose and greasy black hair; in fact, he bore a great deal of resemblance to a vampire bat. Madam Hooch was a stern woman with hawk eyes and snowy white hair, and if there was one thing she knew, it was brooms. Professor Flitwick was of small stature, i.e. maybe three feet four? But he was very nice and was Ravenclaw Head of House. Sprout was very motherly, loved plants, and bore a vague resemblance to the plants she loved so much; she was Hufflepuff Head of House. McGonagall was stern, with square spectacles and black hair pulled into so tight a bun, Bella was surprised she hadn't lost all her hair, she was Gryffindor Head, and Bella got the distinct impression that she wasn't well like by McGonagall. Finally there was Professor Vestra, with her purple-black hair and purple-blue eyes, she was a relatively attractive teacher, she was young, with a good memory. It was sort of an unspoken truth that she was the elder sister to all the students, as well as their professor.

Ariay was adjusting well. Really, there was never any doubt, but Bella was nothing if not concerned.

She was also concerned about Potter. She didn't know exactly what was to happen, but she knew Voldemort wasn't gone, and if he came back, Harry would be his first target. She wanted to know he would be prepared. It was strange, she felt a kinship with him. It was a lot like when she had met Ju Lee.

"Snake!" A girly voice shrieked, followed by thundering footsteps and a sharp '_hiss'_.

'_Misssstrisss!'_ A soft voice hissed, as Bella's albino Indian Cobra slithered up.

'_Yessss, Nyyyyraaa?' _she replied, stroking the creature's hood absently as she relaxed, aware, but ignoring, the incredulous stares of her housemates.

'Thhhat girlll, thhhe onnne withhh thhe pug nossse, triiied to opennn milady'ssss trunk hssss'

'_Did ssshe now? Hhhow sssssillyyyy of her hsss.' _Bella was amused to see Parkinson's reaction.

"You can talk to snakes?" Malfoy inquired.

"No, young fellow, she was talking to a fly." Salazaar answered sarcastically for her. "Of course she spoke Parsel, she is my sister's descendant! What would she do if she couldn't speak Parsel?"

"Down, please, Uncle Slytherin. I'm perfectly capable of fighting my own battles, thank you." Bella said, standing up and smoothing out her skirt. "If you'll all excuse me, I promised to go flying with Ariay." And with that, she sashayed out of the portrait hole, leaving a stunned Slytherin house, and it's thoroughly amused founder, in portrait form, behind her.

Meanwhile…

Ariay sighed as she scribbled in her notebook. In the time that had passed, they had met all their teachers, attended all their classes once, and met all of their dorm mates. Ariay wished she had her own room, like at home, then she wouldn't have to deal with girls giggling over the always evil frilly dress. She knew Bella was just as exasperated with her dorm mates, in fact, Bella had already hexed, or threatened to hex each and every one of her room mates, year mates, and in most cases, her house mates as well. Ariay knew that Bella was predominantly bark, but when she did bite, she bit hard.

A great example was Pansy Parkinson. Pansy had made the mistake of calling someone a 'Mudblood' when Bella walked by. Bella had already been in a foul mood that day (they'd just gotten out of Lockhart's class) and Bella hexed her. In retrospect, that was one of the tamer hexes that Bella could use, the fact the Parkinson was a vain cow is what made it so terrible for her.

Ariay's thoughts turned, momentarily, to their teachers. There was McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, Sprout, Hooch, Vestra, and the Idiot. McGonagall was her Head of House and taught transfiguration. She was very stern. Snape was Bella's Head of House, taught potions, and hated dealing with idiots. Ariay was sure he and Bella would get along. Flitwick was cool, he taught Charms and was kind of _swish!_ and then **BANG! **He also made Bella feel tall. Sprout was really into plants, in the way Ariay was into music, and Bella was into being sarcastic. Hooch, well, Hooch knew brooms, and she didn't fool around. Vestra was one of the coolest teachers ever! She was a tom boy and yet also a woman. As for the Idiot, well, let's just say she had met rocks that were smarter.

Of course, when your best friend is evil, some of that rubs off. Ariay was sure Lockhart's life would be Hell, if only because he wouldn't stop smiling like the idiot he was.

She glanced at the clock. In ten minutes, she, Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys( excluding 'Perfect Percy' and Ginny) would head down to the Quidditch pitch to meet Bella and fly some. Ariay glared at the clock. It wouldn't move fast enough!

Ariay glanced across the room. Potter and his friends were doing homework on the other side of the common room. When she stopped to think about it, they were all in the same boat; Harry, Bella, Ju Lee, and herself. They were all orphans (or as good as orphans), they were all sidled with unrealistic expectations, and they were all on the fringe. Even Harry was on the edge. Here was a twelve-year-old boy; being treated as some sort of savior, when he's just a child. A mature child, so she had found (when not around other people), but a child nonetheless. He had a gift for music, though. Bella had begun teaching him the chords on guitar, and he was taking to it quite well. When he was by himself, or with just his friends, Harry was quite mature.

Ariay glanced at the clock again. Though it had seemed to last but a few seconds, her meditation had lasted a full eight minutes, and now it was time to pack up and head out.


	6. Slytherin and Gryffindor, LTD

Okay people! New chapter! WooHoo!

Please review.

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" I can't believe we're going to hang out with a Slytherin!" Ron whined, as he, Harry, Ariay, the Twins, and Hermione headed out to the Quidditch pitch to go flying. Bella was going to meet them there. Harry rolled his eyes. Although every one else had come to terms with Bella being in Slytherin, Ron was still behind. Fred and George, on the other hand, were hoping to make her 'part of the pack' after a spectacular instance in which Parkinson wouldn't shut up. Poor Pansy was walking around with red and gold hair and the word 'Idiot' written in shimmering red and gold letters on her forehead. It took Madam Pomfrey two and a half hours to get it off.

"You didn't have to come, Weasel!" A feminine voice called, causing the group to look up. Bella sat on a broom, hovering over them, a snake coiled around her neck. " I certainly wouldn't have minded."

The Twins were already quite aware of the issues between Bella and Ron, and thought nothing of it as they mounted their brooms. Soon they were all in the air, pulling loops and turns, diving and generally goofing off.

"Ms. Basilixs!' A voice called. Harry resisted the urge to cringe. Snape. What did he want?

Bella swooped down and alighted gracefully from her broom. Bella talked with the professor for a few moments, then hopped back on her broom and rejoined them.

"What did Snape want?" Fred asked.

"Hm? Oh, I had asked him about extra credit brewing the other day, he said he'd think about it." Bella said, in an off-hand manner.

"You actually elected to spend time with Snape?" Ron asked, incredulously.

"Of course. You see I had an idea." Bella grinned, and motioned for everyone to land on the bleachers, where Hermione was reading. "You know Muggles, particularly in America, have places were you can buy things to remember your school year by. There's usually clubs that sell jackets and scarves and things of that sort. So what I was thinking was a collaboration between you and I," She motioned to the others, "and maybe a few other students, to create a place were students can purchase things, like, maybe make posters of each Quidditch team, and have the letterman jackets. Stuff like that. There's one girl in Slytherin, she's great at making stuffed animals, so we could have stuffed representations of the House symbols, for the students, or maybe even the parents. It'd be a way to foster inter-house relations, and earn a little bit of money."

"How much money?" George asked, his eyes alight, his twin just as excited.

"I'm not sure. I was think about 50% of the net profit would go to Hogwarts or to other places that help people, children in particular." Bella said, pulling out a notebook and a nib pen. "It's like this." She said, listing out some numbers. "Say we have Letterman style sweaters for each house. Each month we sell, oh, maybe twenty in all, keeping in mind, this is with alumni purchasing as well. We sell them for say, 12 sickles? The gross profit would be about 240 sickles, or about 14 galleons, 12 sickles. Then, say we spent about 8sickles for each one, that'd be…"

"Okay Bella, we get it. We wouldn't earn much on a single item, but the over all revenue should be good." Ariay said, cutting her mathematically minded friend off.

"Exactly. I'm hoping to do a lot with this. You know my family owns that old radio building, and I was thinking about doing a radio station, but different from most. I want it to play the type of music Muggles listen to. The muggle-borns get a taste of home, and the wizards get sort of a cultural immersion. We could have radio dramas and maybe even have someone come in to do a self-help program. The possibilities are endless, we just have to work hard, and find people willing to work with us." Bella said, and Ariay was once again reminded of why her friend was put in Slytherin. Sarcastic, smart, and ambitious: that was Bella for you.

"I think it's a great idea!" Hermione said, excitedly. " Maybe we could also do school yearbooks?"

"That sounds great!" Bella said, adding the idea to the list.

And so the next two hours were spent outside, Ron flying around, with Harry joining him once he'd run out of ideas, and the others huddled around Bella. Soon Slytherin and Gryffindor LTD. was born.

It was later on; as Bella trudged down to see Professor Snape, that she realized exactly what this was, and what it needed. It was going to be an experiment in inter-house relations, and for the first few get-to-gathers, would probably need a chaperon. Perhaps Professor Vestra would be willing to help; after all, she did promote inter-house friendships.

Bella knocked gently on the door to Snape's office.

"Come in." and so she did. The room was well lit, the walls lined with bookcases, loaded with potions books and strange creatures in jars. Professor Snape sat behind a desk, mahogany, if her eyes didn't deceive her. "Ms. Basilixs, it has come to my attention, through your housemates, that you can speak parseltongue." He said, steepeling his hands.

"Yes sir." Bella answered, without hesitation.

"I would advise you, as your Head of House, not to flaunt it. Some things are better left unsaid." He said, looking at her.

"Yes sir, of course." Bella sighed inwardly. This was going to be hard.

"Now, about the extra credit brewing, I'm afraid that, while it's doable, it cannot be done at the times you requested. As much as I'd like to get you out of Lockhart's class, I'm afraid my hands are tied." Snape smirked as Bella rolled her eyes with a huff.

"Was it that obvious?" She inquired, with a low growl.

"No. I only knew because I would have tried the same thing." Snape smirked, and this time Bella returned it.

"Thanks, professor." She said, before skipping out to go see Professor Vestra.

"Your welcome, Miss Basilixs." She heard him reply as the door creaked shut. Really, the dungeons were just plain creepy.

A few minutes later…

"You did say that we could feel free to come and talk to you." Bella said, sipping her tea softly. She sat in Professor Vestra's office, the afore mentioned professor was sitting across from her. "The thing is, I had this idea, something that could help foster inter-house unity. I know, in the Muggle world, it's quite common for schools to have students sell jackets and such with the mascot on it, and to sell yearbooks and things. I thought maybe we could do that. I've already started making a list of people interested in it, who wouldn't mind working with people from other houses; however, I thought it might be wise to have a chaperone." She paused, allowing the professor to talk.

"I like the idea, personally, and I'd love to help. So how about you continue finding people who wouldn't mind working with other houses, and I'll find an empty classroom corridor that you could use. The castle's so huge, I'm sure there's a hallway you could take over."

"Thank you! That'd be great! Maybe we could meet up again at the end of the month and show our findings?" Bella asked, hopefully.

"That'd be fine." Professor Vestra wrote a note. "I doubt you'd need this, but just incase, here's a pass allowing you to be out after cerfew, but only for ten minutes. That should give you plenty of time."

"Thanks you, Professor!" Bella said, grabbing her bag and running out.

"Good night!"


	7. Something Wicked this way comes

Two chapters in one day, maybe the delay is forgiven! Please review, your reviews mean alot to me!

* * *

Two weeks later…

"A Deathday party?" Bella echoed her burgundy haired friend, a slight note on incredulousness in her voice.

"Yeah, want to come?" Ariay asked, perched on a branch of the tree above Bella.

"A Deathday party?" Bella repeated, closing her notebook to look at Ariay. "Is that even safe?" She asked, imagining a guillotine as decoration, although, now that she thought about it, that wasn't much different than their usual Halloween decorations.

"I'm sure it is. Dumbledore wouldn't let Nick have it on the property if it wasn't." Ariay said, dropping down out of the tree. Bella sighed.

"Will Weasel be there?" she asked, longsuffering in her voice.

"Probably, but if he annoys you, you can always sic the Baron on him." Bella smiled at the thought.

"Alright, I'll come." She cringed. "But I'm bring my own food."

As it turned out, Bella brought food for everyone, though she almost 'forgot' Ron. Fortunately for him, Ariay 'reminded' her about him; otherwise, he'd be S.O.L. (so out of luck) because all food at the Deathday party was completely rotten. The evening passed quite well, though Nick was still unable to join the Headless Hunt. Bella offered to 'freeze' Sir 'Properly Decapitated' Podmore, as Bella had taken to calling him after hearing Nick say it, but he declined. After spending an hour there, the group trudged up, hoping that perhaps there was still food left in the Great Hall.

'Rip…kill…shred…'

"Did you hear that?" Harry asked, moving quickly down the hall. Bella's hand shot out and grabbed his arm, thus stopping him in his tracks.

"Yes, I heard it. But we are going to move at a reasonable pace. Running into whatever is ahead is only going to get us killed. At least if we walk, my legs won't start cramping up in the middle of the night." She hissed irritably.

"I heard it to." Ariay said, wrapping her scarf around her neck. "As much as I want to run ahead, Bella has a point, running ahead might just get us killed."

"I didn't hear a thing!" Ron said, before his stomach let out a growl. Bella smirked.

"I'm sure you didn't hear anything over that." Ron glared at her.

"I didn't hear anything either." Hermione said, as they continued walking.

" Let's just see about getting to the Great Hall. Stupid staircase, dumping us on the second floor instead of the first." Ron complained, as they walked on. All of a sudden they came out into a large hallway, or at least, it would have been large, had it not been full of people.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked, trying to see over the crowd.

"QUITE!" Bella's voice rang out. People turned. "What is going on?"

"Ms. Basilixs, where have you and your," Snape paused, "companions, been?" He asked pure venom in the word 'companions'.

"We went to Sir Nicholas' Deathday party, sir. We were on our way to see if the feast was still going when the stairs dropped us off on the second floor." Snape nodded. He liked Bella, she was quick, concise, and inquisitive, she was Slytherin. "Sir, if I may, what's going on?" She asked, interrupting her teacher's thoughts.

"MRS. NORRIS!" Argus Filch's heartbroken cry led Bella to think that maybe the decrepit, dust ball like cat had died.

"Mrs. Norris is fine, Argus." Dumbledore said, comforting the distraught man. "She has merely been petrified."

"IT WAS HIM! IT HAD TO BE! HE HATES ME, AND HE KNOWS I'M A SQUIB!" Argus shouted, pointing at Harry.

"He's a what?" Harry asked, clueless.

"A squib is a non-magical child born to wizard parents." Bella answered, before turning to Filch. "That's ridiculous. For one thing, Harry's been with all of us at Sir Nicholas' Deathday party. For another, petrification is not something a second year student could manage." Bella's logic was lost on the distraught caretaker.

"HE DID IT!" Argus yelled. The majority of the school had lost interest in it. They were more interested in the fact that the unofficial queen of Slytherin had been hanging out with a group of Gryffindors. Argus continued wailing until Bella had had enough.

"OH, FOR THE LOVE OF SALAZAAR SLYTHERIN WILL YOU SHUT UP!" She yelled, startling Filch into silence.

"Students, please go to your dorms, there will be a few snacks," he looked at Ron, "there for you to enjoy." The school nodded and headed for their separate common rooms. Bella said goodbye to her companions, and said something to Snape, before following her housemates.

The next morning was quite unique. Bella was nowhere to be seen for the first thirty minutes of breakfast, not so abnormal, Bella didn't eat much in the morning. More surprising was that Ariay was missing during that time as well. Both girls slipped in and headed to their respective tables. At least until Ariay realized that Bella was headed to the Slytherin table.

"What do you think your doing?" Ariay asked, catching her friend, whose hair was currently silver with emerald green streaks.

"I'm going to sit and have some toast." Bella answered, deciding she didn't like her hair.

"You said you'd sit at Gryffindor table." Ariay said, dragging Bella over towards the table. Bella pulled a face and sighed as she settled for a short, choppy looking emerald green style.

"I said I'd sit there, yes. I didn't say today. Tomorrow is the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin Quidditch game, it's a matter of House loyalty." Bella said, changing her eyes to silver, before contemplating her nails.

"Exactly! There's no reason that you can't sit with me!" Ariay said, cheerfully dragging her friend the rest of the way. "It's tomorrow. That means that you can sit with me today." Bella sighed as she gave into her overly cheerful friend. Pulling a mirror out, she quickly changed her hair to it's customary silver, and her eyes to green. However, her nails remained black. On the nails were little green snakes with silver eyes, and some people later on swore the snakes moved around on the small surface of the nails.

"Where have you two been?" Hermione asked, as Ariay made her plate. Bella merely grabbed a piece of toast.

"Had to talk to Professor Vestra." Bella said, pulling out her green notebook and a nib pen. On the notebook was written, "Slytherin is the Best, Better than the Rest, I want to be in Slytherin's House, Slytherin is the Best!" in sliver ink. Ron glared at Bella, who ignored him. "I figure, S&G Ltd. isn't just a 'store' but maybe also an experiment in inter-house relations. I thought it might be best to have an 'unbiased' chaperone for the first few get-togethers."

BANG!

Every head turned to the Slytherin table, where Marcus Flint was sitting, now wearing a red dress with black pock-a-dots. Bella cringed.

"Not something I wanted to see, EVER!, much less this early in the morning." Bella whined.

Snape swooped down quickly on the Weasley twins, now laughing loudly as the very embarrassed Slytherin Quidditch captain walked out of the room, reveling three inch black pumps.

"You guys are sick!" Bella cried, burying her head in her hands.

"Misters Weasley? How unfortunate that you will be unable to play Quidditch tomorrow due to a detention. And twenty points from Gryffindor!" Snape drawled. Bella looked at him.

"Sir, you do realize that your loathing of Gryffindor and unashamed preference of Slytherin is not only pathetically obvious, but also ludicrously childish and nonsensical?" Bella asked, Ariay trying hard to stifle her laugh. "I mean, scheduling their detention for tomorrow is abnormal, it's usually three or four days after the detention is earned. Also, tomorrow is the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor game, removing two of Gryffindors best players, who are both beaters, is giving Slytherin an unfair advantage. Of course, with Malfoy as the Seeker, they might just need it." Bella said. Ariay gave Bella a look that clearly said, ' I don't like him either, but there's no need for that.' Bella ignored it.

"Let's get going, we've got the fop's class next." Bella said, getting up and pulling a reluctant (read, clinging to table) Ariay along with her.

"Lockhart! Why that pompous idiot? Why? What atrocious act did I commit to deserve such a cruel fate?" Ariay cried.

"Come on. Remember, what doesn't kill us is supposed to make us stronger. Of course, Lockhart might just kill us, he's that incompetent." Ariay started to fake sob as they walked out of the Great Hall. "I'm sure we'll survive, some how."

"Miss Basilixs! Ten points from Slytherin for being disrespectful to your Head of House." McGonagall said, from where she stood by the door. "Fifteen point to Slytherin for finally having the guts to tell Severus the truth." She added under her breath with a wink to Bella. Bella smirked and waved on the way out, before turning.

"Creevey! I want to see you later about that picture!" Bella called over her shoulder. Creevey had snapped a photo of Snape's stunned expression. Bella couldn't wait to see it in Hogwarts first ever yearbook.


	8. The Wicked Witch and the Penseive Prof

Bella was furious. Ariay was angry as well, but she, at least, had some self-control. Sort of.

The first Quidditch game of the season, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, had just taken place. Not a minute in the game and one of the Bludgers had begun to chase Harry around the pitch. Harry caught the snitch, but he also broke his arm in the process. Then, as if that weren't bad enough, Lockhart had vanished all the bones in Harry's arms while trying to fix it, despite Harry's protests of wanting Madam Pomfrey, the Medi-witch, to see it.

Bella was not a _physically_ violent person by nature. She'd ruin your reputation, embarrass you to the point of tears, or even hex you into the next century, but rarely would she ever physically hit someone. Unfortunately for Lockhart, now was one of those rare times in which Bella indulged in such things.

While Lockhart was trying to make himself look better in the eyes of the students by claiming that it was nothing more than a simple accident, Ariay was trying hard to restrain her irate friend, so that she could be the one to hit the Fop. All this served to do was increase Bella's ire, so much so, that by the time she reached Lockhart, her silver hair had turned an eerie blood red color and her green eyes had become the color of old blood. Thin wisps of her crimson hair floated in a non-existent breeze as her temper only continued to rise.

"You-you!" Bella sputtered, unable to form words in her anger. She stood there for a minute, trying hard to regain her control, until Lockhart made the biggest mistake yet.

"Not to worry, my dear," He said, jovially, completely ignorant of the danger he was in. "Mr. Potter will be back to normal shortly. Really, it was just a small mistake; everyone makes them, even me. So, no worries, he'll be fine." And here, he made his mistake. He patted Bella on the head. If Bella had not saw red before, she was certainly seeing it now.

She picked up her foot and slammed it down hard onto the toes of Lockhart's foot, bring forth what was, in her mind, a rather satisfying crack before hitting him in the face as hard as she could, thus breaking his nose.

"Now look at what you've done, you Idiot! Not only did you vanish all of Harry's bones, you incompetent imbecile, but you've also messed up my hair, made my foot sore, hurt my hand, and got blood on my new robes!" Bella cried, before spinning around so sharply that her hair whipped Lockhart in the face and storming off into the castle yelling at the top of her lungs in what seemed to be Russian.

Ariay looked at Lockhart.

"Consider yourself lucky. The last guy who messed up her hair ended up speaking in an Octave higher after she kneed him in the groin. Oh, and by the way, normally this would fall to Bella, but I'll do it today." And with that, Ariay hexed him and then headed off after Bella, leaving a stunned audience and Lockhart with large boils erupting from his face.

Lockhart limped his way up to the Hospital wing believing, quite foolishly, that things couldn't get any worse. How wrong he was, as at that very moment Bella, Ariay, and the Weasley twins were huddled together with one goal in mind. Prank Lockhart.

There was no hope for the man, really, thought Snape as he watched as Lockhart strutted round the staff room, saying that everything was fine. He, Severus Snape, had seen Bella and the Weasley twins huddled together and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Lockhart would be well and truly embarrassed before the week was out. Of course, he had no intention of stopping them, and had, in fact, offered to aid them in their quest. Really, if Lockhart didn't resign soon, Severus was going to kill the ponce.

Snape paused, gazing sightlessly at his rich Persian style coffee in contemplation. It was November 15th, just over one week after the Quidditch match that ended in a win for Gryffindor and a broken arm for Potter. That, he realized, was what bothered him. That Belladonna Basilixs, the Queen of Slytherin and a direct descendent of Selina Slytherin (Salazaar's younger sister), was friends with Potter.

He knew her fairly well, all those Ministry functions he'd attended and now as her Head of House. He knew she would not suffer fools such as Potter. And yet, she associated with, and genuinely seemed to like Potter. Was it possible that he was not so idiotic? He doubted it, and yet, perhaps there was some sort of intelligence underneath that thick skull. He'd have to wait and see. After all, the Queen of Slytherin was never random, never. He took a sip of coffee. He really owed her a thank you, Bella that is. She was the one who'd introduced him to Persian coffee.

He left the staff room and headed down towards his dungeons. Suddenly, he stopped. He tilted his head slightly and, yes, yes there was music coming from one of the rooms. Guitar, from the sounds of it, of course, he could be wrong. He backed up a bit, and headed down the corridor the music came from. It led him to a set of double doors, if he remembered correctly, this room had once been used for a study hall period, which had ended badly. He eased one of the doors open slightly to see Bella, her friends, Potter and his little gang, as well as Creevy. Bella appeared to be teaching Potter to play the guitar, while the others explored the rather large room.

"Well," Bella said, as Potter put the guitar away, "The first thing that stand out to me is the windows. They need to be replaced. We want the room a bright as possible, and as much as I love stained glass, it's just not practical. I think it would be best to go for plain windows with a stained glass edge, just for color. What do you think?" She asked, turning to Granger.

"I agree. I also think the walls should be changed. We need to be able to hang things up and such." The girl replied.

"This little storage closet would be great for developing photos." Creevy called.

"Right, so, lets sit down and figure out what all we need." Bella said, calling a house elf to provide lunch for the group. "We need tables, chairs, mannequins, bolts of fabric, backgrounds for pictures, book binding materials, office supplies, a potions cabinet, practically everything for sewing, potions making, photography, and jewelry making. Plus computers, radios, iPods, cell phones…"

"Those things won't work here!" Granger objected.

"Normally, no, they wouldn't work, but my family owns a little store off the main of Knockturn Alley, it charms Muggle technology to work in Hogwarts. We can even get internet here." Granger gaped at Bella. "Any way," The silver haired girl said, rolling up her sleeves and drawing her wand, "we've got a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it in, so we'd better get started."


	9. Building S&G

Snape Disillusioned himself before sliding into the room. He had thought no one would notice him, but he could swear that Potter looked right at him, he dared not moving, knowing he'd be found, at least until Potter turned around to help Bella remove the windows with a levitation charm. As he watched, house elves began to banish the dust and cobwebs.

"We'll also need bookshelves!" Granger said, as she levitated a tapestry of a unicorn off the wall. Bella made a noise of agreement, before charming a broom and dustpan to sweep the floor.

Potter surprised him with his proficiency for household charms. He quickly exited and went to fetch Minerva and Filius, who then joined him in a small alcove.

Slowly but surely the group transformed the empty, Great-Hall-sized room into a command base of sorts, setting up tables, shelves, organizing fabrics, uploading soft ware, hanging cork boards and white boards, putting up a set of shallow drawers containing tacks and dry erase markers. New, clear glass windows replaced the old stained glass ones, having a beautiful stain glass border with a Persian design ethic to it. The house elves took a one-story room and made it three stories, with a large opening surrounded by elaborate metal railing in the middle of the top two floors, so that one could look over the railing to the first floor. Two spiral staircases curled up from opposite corners of the room.

The first floor appeared to be devoted to printing, photography, layouts, and office work, complete with cubicles, photo-studio, dark room, press, and layout station, each area labeled with a bronze sign hanging above it from the ceiling. The second floor was for sewing and crafting, with enchanted sewing machines, drawers of buttons, beads, chains, clasps, zippers, padding, stuffing, knitting needles, yarn, wax, molds for soap and candles, clay, pottery wheels, and more. Finally, the third floor appeared to be a research lab of sort, with little natural light to damage potions ingredients. There were cauldrons, phials, shelves of books, work stations, stirrers, knives, cupboards filled with ingredients, warded areas for spell practice, and so much more. On the far left wall of each floor was a door. These doors all led to the same place, which just happened to be a café.

"Do you really think we'll have enough people for all of this?" Granger asked, looking around at the finished product.

"Not right away, no. However, you forget I've started several businesses before. Since I own most of the stuff being used, the ingredients, paper, fabric, ect… we can actually afford to go without meeting the overhead for a while. What I would like to occur is that S&G Ltd. eventually become an independent franchise. The way I've got this set up is that we accept muggle and wizarding currency. This will increase our client base. Also, by design an entire line of muggle clothes and toys under a different name, students, and their families, can actually blend in while in the muggle world, especially if it becomes popular in the muggle world as well." Bella paused, "In the end, we'll be taking the biggest step towards the destruction of the anti-muggle sentiments ever. How? Because more and more purebloods will be using muggle technology, enjoying the perks of being able to carry hundreds of songs in a small 4"x4" square, or being able to talk to people half way across the world in just seconds, with out the dizzy feeling associated with the Floo. It would rock the world."

"And that's what we're going for." Potter said, coming up behind Bella carrying a large box. "The house elves just delivered this. They said it was the Blackberries and wire-less headsets. I took a look, there also seems to be a few iPods. They said they'd be bringing the laptops, scanners, and wireless printers in the next box. As for the game systems, they won't come in till next week. Beyond that, everything else that you requested as an immediate is here."

"Great! Just put the box on the table and pick out your stuff. Once you've got what you want, just tap it with you wand, it'll pick up your magical signature, and then nobody but you will be able to use it"

"Got it." They watched as Potter lugged the box over to the table. When the next box appeared, the group made their way over to the table, each person picking out a Blackberry, wireless headset, iPod, laptop, scanner, and printer, all with built in shrinking charms that activated when the set password was spoken. After claiming the items and setting the passwords, the group left. In the wake were three stunned teachers who quickly followed out. Once everyone, including (by sheer luck) the professors, was out of the room, Harry turned and placed a gold plaque above the door reading,

" Slytherin and Gryffindor Limited, headquarters.

This independently owned and student run company is dedicated to the formation of independent spirits and the building of self-confidence, teamwork, inter-house unity, and a brighter future. May the students who pass through these doors leave school with a sense of purpose, life skills, and friends to help them through times of need.

Ars longa, vita brevis*, and so let our arts be our immortality."

"Oh, Harry, that's beautiful!" Hermione said, looking at the plaque. Bella nodded her head in approval.

"Ars longa, vita brevis." She whispered, before levitating a statue to the left side of the door, while her friend, Arthur, levitated the other to the right side. The statues showed the four animal symbols of Hogwarts. The Gryffindor lions sat up proud, with the Slytherin serpent coiled in between the front paws, perched on the side furthest from the door on both statues was the Ravenclaw hawk, and on the inside stood the Hufflepuff badger, standing up on it's hind paws. All the animals were ready to defend, but equally ready to rest, should peaceful times return to the castle at last. Behind the lions there was a banner, passing over the heads of the majestic beast, and coming to rest on either side of badger and hawk, which bore the Hogwarts motto. Carved into the bases was the legend, "Ars longa, vita brevis."

"There, now it's finished." Ariay said, as she gazed at the cedar doors. The group stood there for a minute longer, before saying their goodnights and splitting up, each going to their own dormitory. Potter stood a moment longer, then looked over at the teachers.

"Did you enjoy watching that?" He asked casually, before glancing back at the doors. "Either way, goodnight Professors." He gave a slight bow to the still Disillusioned teachers, before heading towards Gryffindor tower. How he had known they were there, Snape was unsure. Perhaps Potter was smarter than his father. He was Lily's child, after all. Perhaps there was a bit more of his Lily in Potter, perhaps.

* * *

"Ars longa, vita brevis" Art is long, life is short. In other words, art lasts longer than we do. I thought it appropiate, you'll see why later. I hope you enjoy and please review!


	10. Temper, temper! Malfoy gets slapped!

The Next Day…

Ariay stormed across the Hogwarts courtyard, scattering all the students in her wake.

Ariay was rarely ever mad. When she was though, no one stood in her way.

However, it seemed as though this fact had escaped the attention of Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were pursuing her, Malfoy smirking triumphantly.

"What's the matter, Ariay, can't take a joke?" Draco called after her.

"What's the matter, Malfoy," Ariay spun around, "can't take a _hint_?" Her voice was almost a snarl. Draco stopped and raised one eyebrow aristocratically.

"Unlike your stupid little suck-up metamorph, freak of a friend, I-"

SMACK!

Silence reigned as every one turned to the sound, a single whisper of "Did she just slap a Malfoy?" silenced by the glare that Ariay threw around the courtyard, before shifting her attention back to Malfoy.

"Don't you DARE talk about Bella that way, you two faced coward!" Ariay said, her voice like smooth ice. "You aren't half the person she is, not to mention any where near as good a witch-or wizard- that she is either! Just because your jealous of her obvious superiority to your stupidity doesn't mean that you have the right to insult her." Ariay turned on the balls of her feet, her crimson hair whipping Malfoy in the face, and stormed to the hallway.

The silence of the courtyard slowly gave way to the natural hubbub of life at Hogwarts, but Malfoy didn't notice. He stood there, one hand on his steadily reddening cheek.

"Interesting." He said, watching as Ariay met up with Bella and the two walked into the building. "Very interesting."

" What is?" Goyle asked, somewhat wary of the other boy.

"Ariay is single, is she not?" Draco turned to Crabbe, ignoring Goyle's question.

"I believe so." Came Crabbe's reply.

"Good. I've just decided that I want her." He turned to walk to the Great Hall, via different route. "Come, we have _other_ things to do."

"Bravo, Ariay!" Bella said, a slight smirk adorning her lips and she clapped as Ariay passed her. "But I must wonder why you didn't just hex him?"

"Because it was more satisfying to slap the idiot, hopefully knocking some sense into that brain of his, small as it may be." The redhead responded.

"Good point, but I had thought that after spending so much time with me you would have learned, you never slap a Slytherin, you always punch." Bella stated matter-of-factly, the smirk still there, her dark green eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Next time you do something stupid, I'll make sure to keep that in mind." Ariay tried gallantly not to laugh. Bella snorted.

"The day I do something stupid is the day you become a tutu wearing pixie!" Bella responded, causing the duo to burst into laughter.

"Best go get the tutu out of the mothballs, shan't I? Hey, are we still going to talk during lunch?" Ariay asked as she regained control and rapidly changed the subject.

"Yes. It's stupid that we have to sit at our own tables today. I mean, that's as cruel as forcing Snape to wash his hair!"

As Ariay opened her mouth to chastise Bella, Ron skidded to a halt in front of the duo, Harry and Hermione close behind.

"Did you really slap him?" Ron asked excitedly while Hermione tried to catch her breathe.

"Personally, I think she should have placed him in the infirmary, but yes, she slapped him." Bella said, elatedly. "Which is almost as good, but not quite." She added.

"That was bloody brilliant!" Ron exclaimed, his eyes glowing with admiration.

"Did you get a picture?" Harry asked, mirth barely hidden in is voice.

"Afraid not," Ariay said, "Can we go eat lu-"

"I gotta picture of Ariay slapping Malfoy!" Colin Creevy came flying down the hallway, a picture clutched desperately in his hands.

"Really? Let me see that." Bella snatched the photo from his shaky hands.

The Golden Trio huddled excitedly around the black and white photo in Bella's hands.

"As much as I hate having to admit this…" Harry started, hesitantly, "you did a bloody good job, Colin."

Colin beamed proudly at Harry's compliment.

"Oh, for the love of Salazaar Slytherin!" Bella sneered, rolling her eyes towards the heavens at Colin's reaction. "Get a grip, Creevy, you're embarrassing yourself."

"Don't be mean." Ariay scolded, leaning casually against the wall.

Harry looked at her curiously. "Don't you want to see it?" He asked.

"What? The picture?" Ariay snorted. "I'm HUNGRY! I frankly don't CARE about the picture! Besides, I was the one who slapped him, remember? Do you honestly think that I will ever forget that?"

Hermione stifled a laugh as best she could.

"It is rather funny." She snickered as she glanced at the picture.

"Let me see the stupid thing so that you'll shut up about it and we can eat!" Ariay groused, as she snatched the photo out of Bella's hands. She couldn't help but grin at the sight.

Draco's face was turned towards the camera, eyes wide in shock, mouth open ever so slightly, and his expression betraying his incredulity. Ariay's hand was on his cheek, her scowl amusing due to its rarity.

" Alright, I admit, it's funny… can we please go eat now?" Ariay whined slightly. "_Please?"_

Bella sighed and massaged her temple.

"It would figure that you would care less about slapping Malfoy and more about food." Hermione stated, try hard to suppress her sarcasm.

"FOOD!" Ariay, however, completely ignored her.

The group finally came to the doors to the Great Hall and was about to enter when Neville Longbottom came running up. "Ariay, did you really…"

"Slap Malfoy? Yes, now can we please eat?!" Ariay interrupted him and began pushing him through the doors. "Here's the picture, have fun!"

Neville looked at the picture for a moment, smiled, and then ran off to show the other Gryffindors.

"Hey! Come back here with my picture!" Colin cried, as he chased after Neville, nearly tripping over the hem of his robe. Ariay started to follow, at a more sedate pace.

"Bye Bella, I'll talk to you later." Bella said, mocking Ariay's usually cheerful voice. "Don't forget to say hello to the Twins for me!"

"Okay, I will." Ariay said flatly before rushing over to Gryffindor table.

'_Awww, How cute! My little girl is growing up. She FINALLY learned what sarcasm is!' _Bella smirked.

'_How cute. Bella and Draco sitting at the same table!'_ Ariay shot back as she filled her plate.

'_You do remember I'm good at potions, right?'_

Ariay paused. _'Shut up!!'_ She wined as she poured herself some pumpkin juice.

'_You know it's only funnier when you do that, right?'_

'_All I have to say is, Shut your mouth!'_

'_That is the most pathetic thing you've said yet!'_

'_Not as pathetic as what I'm about to say. Leave me alone, I'm eating.'_

'_Yes ma'am! Heaven help whoever tries to stand between Ariay and her food!'_

'_Heaven help whoever comes into contact with Bella's sarcasm.'_

'_Oh, thank you so much! That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me! You just made my day!'_

'_Have fun with Malfoy.'_ Ariay thought, with another one of her rare smirks pulling the corners of her mouth.

By now, Bella had found a seat at the Slytherin table, next to none other than Draco Malfoy. Bella glared at Ariay with her trademark, 'I'm going to incinerate you now' look, before an evil grin broke across her face. Ariay stopped, her fork midway to her mouth, eyes widening as Bella pulled a small vial of purplish liquid from her robe pockets.

'_That's not what I think it is, is it?'_

'_Mmm-hmm.'_

'_Oh, Fudge Monkeys, please don't put that in my drink!'_

'_Who says it's for your drink?'_ Bella glanced at Draco and grinned evilly.

'_No! You wouldn't… you're not that evil!'_

'Personally, I think you're problem is that you're jealous that I get to wear such cool colors and you don't.'

"What?!" Ariay said aloud, causing Ron, Harry, Hermione, and the Twins to look up at her.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Ron asked.

"Um… Bella said to tell you she said hello!" Ariay said to the Twins quickly. She looked up to see Bella laughing, something that did not help her disposition.

"Gold eyes, red hair, and now a red face… You really have a lot of spirit, Ariay." Fred smirked, his eyes glimmering with mischief.

"How cute! You made her blush even more." George teased. Ariay looked back up at the Slytherin table, a loud THUNK indicating that her friend had fallen off her seat. Draco was looking at Bella as though she belonged in St. Mungo's.

'_I'm gonna kill you!' _Ariay shot at Bella.

'_Just remember who has the love potion, sweetheart.'_ Bella held the vial up and pointed at Malfoy.

Ariay went scarlet.

Fred and George, noticing Bella antics, began roaring with laughter.

"I… She…" Fred couldn't even talk.

"Oh, we're so proud of her. She'd make such a good addition to the pack, even if she is a Slytherin." George said between hoots of laughter.

Ariay looked down at her plate.

"Aw, It's okay Ariay. Just because Bella found out about your secret crush on Malfoy…" Fred began, ruffling Ariay's hair as he laughed.

"You ever say that again and you'll find yourselves locked in a broom closet with Parkinson over there some day, and you won't be able to get out until you start snogging!"

Fred and George started to howling with laughter.

"You? Doing something that mean?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow, unsure exactly what was going on, but catching her comment.

'_You'd be surprised how mean she can be.'_ Bella said, more to herself than to Ariay.

'Not as mean as you are.'

'Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to Draco.'

'_What?' _Ariay asked as Bella closed the connection. "Jerk" She muttered under her breath.

Suddenly, Draco turned towards Bella, leaning towards her as if…as if to talk to her!

"Wait a min…Hey!" As Ariay had stood to go over to the Slytherin table, Fred and George, who were seated on either side of her, grabbed her by the arms and pulled her back down.

"Now, now, Ariay… don't spoil our fun." Fred chastised her, a lopsided grin on his face.

"Be a good girl and sit." George added.

"Let go of me!" Ariay struggled to free herself, but neither Twin relinquished his hold. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were looking at them as though they were insane. Ariay glanced over to see Bella smirking.

_What is she up to now?!_ Ariay thought, worrying slightly, for that smirk never bode well.

"So, Bella, just curious, but is Ariay seeing anyone…" Draco paused "As if any one would want to see her, but is she?"

Bella raised an eyebrow, stifling a laugh as she did.

"I don't know, I'll have to ask her." She glanced over to see the Twins pull Ariay down, and snorted. "Why? Are you interested?" She smirked.

"Me? Interested in a Gryffindor?" Draco snorted. "Nevertheless a blood traitor, never."

"That's good to know, Malfoy, because if you ever hurt her, I'd be forced to kill you at the very least." Bella said nonchalantly. "And it'd be just awful if I got blood on my new robes, wouldn't you agree?"

Draco paled at Bella's evil smirk. She changed to a haughty smile before turning her attention back to Ariay, who had apparently given up on escaping.

'_Oh, Ariay, do you have a boyfriend, by any chance?'_ Bella asked sweetly.

'_Why? What'd he ask you? What'd you do?'_

'_Don't worry, I didn't use the potion… But Malfoy did happen to ask if you were seeing someone._

Ariay's jaw dropped, her face turning even redder.

"I didn't think it was possible for you to get any redder, but I was obviously wrong." Fred quipped, moving a few strands of her face to get a better look. Ariay slapped his hand away, causing the Twins to burst out laughing again.

'_Excuse me?! What happened?!!'_

'Draco seems to like you, Gryffindork. I guess that slap knocked something other than sense into that brain of his.'

Ariay buried her face in her hands, shaking her head and giving off a low moan indicative of a headache.

'_Can I blast him?'_ She asked.

'_You? Do something that mean. I'd like to see this, just wait, let me find the popcorn.'_ Bella was smirking.

"_You know, that's the second time I've heard that in the last five minutes."_

"_Of course, Ariay, you know bloody well you're too nice too be mean." _Bella smiled.

"_Is that a challenge?" _Ariay raised an eyebrow and raised her goblet in a toast, turning her head ever so slightly.

"_Why I'd thought you'd never ask…hop to it, sweetie."_ Bella returned the toast with equal flare.

'_Move, duck, Get out of the way, unless you wanna get hit.'_ Ariay flashed Bella a serious look that may have crossed her face once every few millennia.

Bella moved away from Draco, watching as Ariay took her wand out and whispered something to the Twins. A slight motion of her wand and… BANG! Draco flew backwards, as a big cloud of smoke covered him.

As the cloud cleared, everyone at Slytherin table fell into a shocked silence, well every one except Bella, who fell out of her chair laughing, yet again. The Twins and Lee Jordan joined her on the floor, as Gryffindor table burst out cheering.

Draco looked horrified. His hair and robes were all red and gold. Gryffindor colors.

"Not bad, but not quite finished!" Bella cried, and with a flick of her wand, an almost unspoken spell, and another loud BANG filled the Great Hall.

"Stop this at once!" Draco yelled, clearing the smoke furiously.

He was entirely red and gold, from his hair to his skin, his eyes, his fingernails; even his shoes were red and gold.

A bright flash blinded Malfoy.

"I've got the picture! I've got the picture!" Colin squealed happily, turning tail and running towards the Common room as fast as he could.

"Give me that, Mudblood!" Malfoy snarled, his usually schooled features giving way to an ugly look.

Ariay stood, faking a gasp and covering her mouth dramatically with her hands.

"Oh, look Malfoy's lost his mask." She smiled sweetly, which was inappropriate for her sarcastic demeanor. "Too bad he doesn't have the genius of the Phantom to make up for his looks." She frowned, cocking her head again as if to study him.

"Don't look too closely, Ariay," Bella said with mock innocence that everyone knew she didn't possess, "you might go blind, after all, he shatters every mirror he looks into. Maybe his face is causing people to be petrified."

"Okay, Bella, that's just a little too mean." Ariay scolded.

Bella looked at Ariay with feigned childlike innocence.

"What's the matter Ariay, afraid that I might hurt the ferrets feelings?" she assumed a dainty posture with a barely veiled smirk. "Or is it because he's your _boyfriend._"

Ariay's jaw dropped, her face turning a crimson shade that could shame Gryffindor's banners.

"He is not my boyfriend." Ariay said, adding in a helpless whining tone. "And you call yourself my friend."

"_Best _friend, Ariay dearest, and you know I only do it out of love." Bella waved her hand dramatically, grinning smugly at Ariay's horrified expression. "Perhaps we should have Creevy get another picture…I'm sure your fans would love it. I think your boyfriend might even buy a very large copy."

"I hate you…"Ariay glared at Bella before a surprised expression took over her face. "Fans? What fans? I wasn't aware I had fans of any sort."

"Of course you do, Ariay, after all, you seem to be the very center of attention tonight…I mean, you finally gave Malfoy what he deserved, a nice hard slap…" Bella gazed at Malfoy, with a disdained smirk curling her lips. "And you made him come out of the closet about his favorite colors. If that doesn't earn you some fans in all the houses, I don't know what would."

During the whole exchange, Malfoy's own jaw had dropped, a shocked look plastered on his face. And in the stunned silence of the Great Hall, a single whisper was heard, from the direction of the Slytherin table, "I wish I had some popcorn."  
"See…I told you."

"You smug little…" Fred's hand covered her mouth at that moment.

"Remember, Ariay, your supposed to be the nice one." He said.

Ariay rolled her eyes and pushed his hand away, muttering something that sounded like dire threats to his life.

Fred simply laughed.

"Are you saying that I'm not nice? I thought I meant something to you!" Bella feigned wiping away tears with her black silk handkerchief. "Very well, then, you've left me no other choice…I must tell Snape…" She paused dramatically with a hand over her heart. "But it pains me because" She suddenly dropped to her knees, arms extended towards him. "I LOVE YOU!"

A bright flash erupted in the Great Hall yet again.

"So when's the wedding, love birds?" Lee Jordan smirked at his dumbfounded friend.

Fred's eyes widened in shock.

Ariay stifled a laugh and nudged him, glad to see the spotlight was off of her.

"Now what are you going to do with fair lady's heart?" Ariay looked up at him cheekily.

"I…um…that is to say…uh…I just remembered, Mother wanted me to write her a letter."

As he turned to leave, Ariay pulled a parchment letter out of her robes.

"What…you mean the letter that you already wrote?" Ariay glanced at Bella.

Bella sniffled and began to 'sob.'

"My little girl is growing up…Freddie, aren't you proud? You'll be giving her away to her groom soon."

Fred caught on quickly.

"I'm not quite sure Malfoy is ready for that commitment…and I don't want him to hurt our baby." He pinched Ariay's cheek.

"WE ARE NOT GETTING MARRIED!" Both Draco and Ariay screamed in unison.

"EVER!" Ariay added.

"Of course not, dear, then we might go to Azkaban for murdering him." Fred patted Ariay's head.

"Wait a second, Malfoy, are you saying you might actually marry our girl?" Bella asked, askance. "Well, Fred darling, we might have to kill him after all."

"Of course, we'll have to find a way to destroy the evidence…" Fred said thoughtfully.

By now, the prefects of the houses were serving popcorn to students and teachers alike, all if them trying to stifle laughter as to not interrupt the show.

"Well, that's easy, dear, we'll marinate the meat in barbeque sauce and then throw 'em on the grill…'member, secrets in the sauce."

"Are you sure it wouldn't kill them to eat it? I mean, after all, he is pretty rancid." Fred asked.

Draco was as red as Ariay by now.

"Aw, how cute…they both have the same favorite color." Bella pointed at him. "Birds of a feather flock together."

"Be prepared to meet the Angel of Death, blood traitor." He started to chase after Bella, who was already 'cowering' behind Fred.

"Fred, darling, save me!" Bella paused. "Wait…you actually have the brains to understand the concept of the Angel of Death…" she looked up adoringly at Fred. "It seems I've underestimated him Fred, darling…he really is almost as smart as a monkey. Quick, call Darwin! We've found the missing link!"

"SERPENSORTIA!" Draco roared, pointing his wand at Bella.

She gasped, having been caught off guard. But just before the spell hit her, Ariay threw down a veil and they were enveloped in a cloud of smoke.

When the smoke cleared they were gone, leaving only the snake to hiss angrily for missing its prey and a very astonished Great Hall.

"Up here, lover boy!" Bella called to the snake, waving happily from her perch upon the Hogwarts banner with Ariay and Fred on either side of her. "Come and get me if you can!"

Ariay smiled.

"Didn't expect that, now did ya, Draco?" she cocked her head and laughed, covering her mouth with one hand delicately, mocking him.

Draco stared at Ariay for a second, his face pale.

"Don't you think you should take care of that snake now, Professor?" Bella said, looking down at Lockhart. An apple appeared suddenly above Bella's hand. As she was reaching for it, it fell and hit Lockhart on the head.

"Oops…sorry Professor." She said in an unconvincingly sweet manner.

"Oh, yeah, you really meant that." Ariay snorted.

"_Tell me I'm an angel…" _Bella started singing, pretending as if she hadn't heard Ariay.

Ariay rolled her eyes.

"Okay, students, fun is over." Professor Snape growled, standing and sending a quick spell at the snake to make it disappear.

"_Aw, _but Professor, the fun is only beginning." Bella smirked, looking at him evilly.

"Bella, behave! He is a professor, after all." Ariay shot Bella a sharp look.

"Yes, well, I suppose I can behave, after all, he's nowhere near as bad as Lockhart."

At the moment, the three students looked down at the professor in question only to see him snoring loudly, his face in the midst of his plate.

"I suppose those mashed potatoes weren't very good…after all, they did put the poor man to sleep." Bella said, mustering as much innocence into her voice as possible.

"No, sorry, _Mum, _I believe it was that apple you 'mistakenly' dropped on his head that wasn't very good." Ariay grinned at Bella and giggled.

"Well, I suppose I should agree, after all, Malfoy touched it." Bella nodded towards Malfoy, who looked almost as white as his House Ghost, the Bloody Baron.

"It appears that he didn't hear you...you'd better repeat it, _darling_." Fred smirked.

"Gladly." Bella remarked. "And I'll even be nice and be a little scathing this time."

"Nice?" Ariay raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, but only in your own world is that being nice."

"Exactly." Bella replied. "Now…how about you get us down from here so I can give him the honor of insulting him to his face."

"Are you sure you want to honor _him_?" Ariay bit back a grin, resisting the urge to burst out laughing.

"Being in my very presence is an honor, dearest," Bella said haughtily. "Besides, it's the only other honor he'll ever receive on purpose, seeing as I must acknowledge his own pointless existence."

Ariay put her head in her hands and shook her head in silent resignment. Bella laughed.

"You know it only makes it funnier when you do that. Right?" Bella said, composing herself.

"I hate you." Ariay moaned, her head still in her hands.

"As entertaining as this, I believe you three have classes to attend to soon." Dumbledore smiled, peeking over his half-moon spectacles.

"Yes, I suppose you're right…but must we go to Lockhart's class." Bella glanced down at Lockhart, whose face was now completely covered with what had been on his plate. "Yum, mashed potatoes."

"I'm afraid so, but look at it this way…he won't be teaching very much today in his present state." Dumbledore winked at his most mischievous students.

"One…two…three!" In a puff of smoke, the three stood by their appropriate house tables.

Ariay groaned.

"Why can't you be in a different house?" she said, looking at Fred grudgingly.

"Because then I couldn't tease you and make you wear the House colors all the time." Fred grinned, winking at Bella.

"But Bella does just fine and she's in Slytherin!" Ariay blurted before thinking about what she had said.

Groaning, she put her head in her hands and faked a sob.

"I love you, Ariay." Bella said as sweetly as she could muster into her voice.

"The Hell you do." Ariay snapped, grabbing her bag and storming out of the Great Hall.

As she walked through the doors, she turned towards Bella and stuck out her tongue before disappearing into the entrance hall.

Bella bowed.

"Thank you very much for your patronage." She said, bowing to all sides of the room. "Video copies of this performance will be available through Colin Creevy, myself, or other representatives of SG, Ltd."

"Slytherin and Gryffindor Limited, bringing you quality merchandise at affordable prices." Fred added, taking his own bows.

"Look for SG radio, coming this Christmas season…hohoho! Turn you radios to Wiz 203!" George quipped.

The three took one last bow and left, arm in arm.

Draco glared after the jesters of Hogwarts.

"Jesters they may be, but I am King, as they have performed in front of me…" he sneered.

"More like with you as the prop." An unknown Slytherin snickered.

"Shut up!" Draco snapped, causing those around him to cringe. "I will get them back for this, miserable Blood traitors…but first, we go to Madame Pomfrey."

"Why?" Goyle asked stupidly, looking at Malfoy.

"Because I can't get rid of these bloody colors!" he shrieked. "Stupid Bella…"

"Actually, it was your _girlfriend _that started it, ferret boy." Lee quipped, before running to safety in the Gryffindor tower.

Draco shook in anger, hands clenched in fists at his side before storming out.

"I'm not sure if he was mad at Ariay being called his girlfriend, or that she cursed him first." McGonagall snickered, hiding her mouth behind her hand.

Dumbledore merely smiled in silent agreement.


	11. Feeling Flushed

* * *

Hello! Psychic here, with chapters! I'm working on my other stories as we speak. I'll be updating Ten Percent later this evening and I might be posting a new story soon.

As always, I don't own, please review, and enjoy!

* * *

"Hello, Ariay." A drawling voice said from behind her. Ariay looked up from her book to see none other than Draco Malfoy behind her chair, looking at her with a bored expression.

"Oh, hey." Ariay responded, returning to her book.

"I hear you were the first to curse me the other day at lunch." He said casually, walking to stand a few feet in front of her. Ariay felt her cheeks go red.

She glanced around the library, hoping someone else would be there.

It was practically empty…only her, Draco, and the librarian.

"I…um, well." Ariay looked down shyly, feeling guilty. She glanced at him.

Draco looked shocked.

"Wh-what's wrong?" she stammered, worried she had _done_ something wrong.

"Nothing, I just expected a…different reaction." He replied, looking bored again.

"Oh." Ariay looked back at her book, knowing she had probably turned another shade of red. She hadn't been able to read a word of it since he started speaking to her.

_Aw…Ariay's blushing…_Bella teased.

_Shut-up, Bella_

_Fine, but I'm coming over. I can see the little jerk from here._

_Stay there, I'll be fine. I want to here what he has to say, and I won't be able to with you here._

Bella grumbled something unintelligible but didn't argue further.

Draco looked at her out of the corner of his eye. Ariay was blushing, her face a pretty shade of scarlet.

He had _not _expected her to feel…bad. He thought she'd be a bit more like Bella and had been prepared for a sarcastic remark. But this… This caught him completely off guard.

_Annoying little blood traitor._ Draco thought, looking away again, annoyed he, a Malfoy, had been surprised.

He looked over at the librarian's desk. Bella glared at him from there, but didn't come towards them.

_What is that freak up to now…_

"I'll apologize for cursing you…" Ariay said softly. "But not for slapping you, I'm afraid I can't do that…you insulted my best friend, and she hadn't done anything to you." _Though I'm starting to feel kinda bad…_

Ariay looked at him through her eyelashes, too afraid to actually lift her head.

Draco flushed.

_She's so…cute. Why is she being so kind?_

"Why do you hate me?" he blurted, not thinking.

"What?" Ariay sat straight up now, her head cocked to one side.

"I asked the question clear enough, it's not my fault you weren't smart enough to catch it." He sneered coldly.

She cringed and her face fell, though she tried to cover it up by quickly looking back at the book and allowing her hair to fall in front of her face.

_Ah, no! Stupid, stupid, stupid! _Draco fumed at himself, but said nothing to Ariay.

"I…I'm sorry." She finally said. "I suppose I need to learn to pay more attention."

Draco's jaw dropped, caught completely off guard again.

_No! Don't apologize! You didn't do anything wrong…_ Draco resisted the urge to say it aloud.

_Don't apologize to him! _Bella's voice rang in her hea_d. Stop being so nice…you did nothing wrong…he's being a jack-ass._

_He asked why I hate him._

_Oh, that's simple…because he's a-_

Ariay cut the connection, having a pretty good idea of what Bella was going to say.

"You're name…its Draco, right?" Ariay asked, not able to look at him.

"I would have hoped that you would at least know the name of the person you slapped and cursed in the same day!" Draco growled, anger lacing his voice.

Ariay cringed again.

_Great, I did it again…idiot._

"Yes, it's Draco. Draco Malfoy." He softened his voice, feeling a bit awkward at doing so. Since when did he need to be _nice_?

Ariay finally looked up at him, though, making his latter thoughts disappear.

She closed her book and gave him a genuine smile that lit up her face. She stood.

"Draco means dragon…and I absolutely love dragons!" Ariay covered the three feet of space between them and hugged him.

Draco stiffened, his arms up in alarm. He looked at Bella, not sure what to do.

Bella shrugged her shoulders and grinned.

"That's for you to decide, ferret." She mouthed, before giving Draco a death glare. "But no matter what you do…you die."

Draco paled, shaming the color of every ghost in the castle.

"How can I hate you when you have such a cool name?" Ariay asked, calling his attention back to her. He glanced down at her, his face practically in her soft red hair. He slowly put his arms down, considering hugging her back.

She smelled like…

She let go just as suddenly as she had hugged him.

"I have to go…see ya 'round. Draco!" she smiled again before turning and walking towards Bella.

Draco only stood there, arms hanging uselessly in the air, too stunned to do anything but watch her walk away.

"What the bloody Hell just happened…"he said aloud, feeling a little dizzy.

"Okay, I have the holy water…now all we need is the priest." Bella said in the hallway. "Don't worry, you'll be fine Ariay…we'll get rid of the demon that has possessed you!"

"What the bloody Hell are you talking about?!" Ariay asked, confused and agitated.

Bella grabbed her friends around on the shoulders and started shaking her.

"Get out of her, you demon, be gone!" Bella shouted. "Leave her! Be gone, hell spawn!"

"Get off of me, you crazy person." Ariay cried, grabbing Bella's shoulders to stop the shaking before her head fell off. "Besides, I thought you didn't believe in exorcisms."

"I do when they possess my best friend to hug a rabid diseased ferret." Bella cried dramatically. "It's okay, you're going to be fine, Ariay."

"Let go of me!" Ariay struggled to escape her grip, trying not to laugh.

"The power of Christ compels you, demon!" At that moment, the Twins and Lee Jordan turned the corner.

"I wouldn't go as far to call poor Ariay a demon, Bella." Fred teased.

"Not her…the demon that possessed her to hug Malfoy." Bella said, not relinquishing her death grip on Ariay.

"She hugged _Malfoy_." They said in unison.

"Who hugged who?" Harry said as he and Ron entered the corridor.

"Ariay hugged MALFOY…quick get the rosary, I need to do the exorcism rites." Bella replied.

"What?!" Harry cried, shocked.

Ron couldn't even talk, his face twisted in a mortified expression that froze on his face.

"I'll get Dumbledore!" Fred cried valiantly.

"I'll get McGonagall!" Lee yelled sprinting down the hall towards McGonagall's office.

"You don't need to do that, Lee!" Ariay cried. She turned back to the others. "I'm fine really…it isn't that big of a deal."

"Oh, yes we do and yes it is." George replied, grabbing Ariay's only free arm. "Harry, get Madame Pomfrey."

"Hey!" Ariay growled, though no one seemed to be paying much more attention to her.

"Let me, Bella...Harry, be a good lad and run." Fred grinned and took a hold of Ariay's other arm. "Start the exorcism!"

"But Madame Pomfrey may tie me to the bed…" he complained.

"What's more important…your pride or getting Ariay exercised." Bella growled.

"Hey, if you want me to exercise, I'll start jogging around the lake every morning." Ariay piped in.

"Hardyharhar." Bella said, rolling her eyes.

"It was worth a shot…" Ariay smiled weakly, shrugging her shoulders.

"A shot is all you'll get, demon!" Bella cried. "Now be gone evil spirit!" She made the sign of the cross, and approached warily.

"This is ridiculous!" Ariay groaned. "It was just a hug…" She paused and looked up at Fred wickedly.

"Uh-oh." He said. "Ariay what are you planning? You have Bella's evil look on your face."

Ariay stomped hard on George's foot, who let out a loud yelp and released her arm. In that instant, she swung around and hugged Fred.

"Ah! I've been contaminated!" Fred sobbed. "Quick the holy water before I'm lost to its evil powers, too."

Ariay suddenly let go and ran while Bella poured 'holy' water on Fred.

"Don't worry, Ariay, you'll be freed from that evil things hold at dinner!" Bella called after her fleeing friend.

She stuck her tongue at her from around the corner and disappeared.

"She hugged Malfoy." Ron finally managed to say, his voice merely a squeak before running to the open window to throw up.

Draco finally exited the library, his confusion having melted into something else…something different.

_This girl is getting on my nerves, but…_

Ariay's sad pleading eyes and scarlet red face flashed into his mind.

…_She's just so adorable._

He rounded the corner, but, lost in his thoughts, paid no heed to the small group that had assembled there.

"MALFOY!" an irritatingly familiar voice screeched. Draco turned and found himself staring down Belladona's jet black wand. She smirked.

"Maybe a toad…" she said thoughtfully. "Oh, wait, that'd be insulting to all the other frogs in the world."

"A Flobber Worm?" Fred piped in, suddenly appearing to Bella's left.

"Might be helpful in my potions…" She remarked. "But then he'd be doing something useful and that's against all-" She cut herself off. "Never mind."

"What? What is it?" Fred asked curiously.

"I was going to say that it's against his morals, but he has none." Bella shrugged her shoulders.

Draco said nothing, merely looking from Bella to Fred and back.

"He's speechless." George teased, appearing on Bella's right.

"That or his tiny Ferret brain isn't comprehending the big words we're using." Bella sneered.

Draco opened his mouth to respond when another voice interrupted.

"Belladona Rose Narcissus Basilixs!" Ariay's bell-like voice rang through the corridor.

"Rose Narcissus?" Draco stifled a laugh.

BOOM!

Draco flew and hit the wall twenty feet back.

"Bella!" Ariay ran past her to help Draco.

"I' m sorry I missed the window…would you like me to try again?" Bella's voice dripped with venom, her killing curse green eyes directed at Ariay.

Ariay flinched.

"You don't need to be such jerks." Ariay snapped before turning to Draco. "Would it be alright if I sat with you?"

"Yes, of course." He said a little too quickly. He glanced at Bella. Her killing curse eyes burned through him.

_My death draws close…_

Ariay grabbed him by the arm and led him down the corridor.

Bella began muttering a hex that would border on needing medical care. It all depended on how good her aim was.

Bella smiled. Her aim was pretty damn good.

"Bella."

She jumped and lost her concentration.

"What?" she glared at Fred.

"We can save our precious daughter from the clutches of that snake-"

"Uh-uh, that's an insult to snakes."

Fred grinned.

"Right sorry. From that cowardly two-faced Ferret at dinner, okay?"

"Fine." She replied, pouting. "As long as I get to hex Malfoy to the next millennium, we're good."

George started laughing.

"Of course."

"I'm really sorry." Ariay said for the hundredth time. Draco wanted to bind her mouth shut with something. Maybe the muggle notion of duct tape wasn't so bad after all.

"Speak, say something, stop being silent!"

Draco snorted.

"What's wrong with silence?" he sneered. "It seems to be a complicated concept for you."

_Being nice seems to be too complicated of a concept for yourself. _He found himself chastising himself again.

Ariay opened her mouth, thought better of it, and bowed her head, letting her red hair fall in her face.

Draco sighed impatiently, angrier at himself than her.

"Oh, don't mope, it doesn't become you." He drawled.

"I'm sorry." She replied quietly.

He couldn't take the pointlessness of her apologizing anymore.

"Stop apologizing!" he snapped.

I'm sorry!" she cried, jumping up from her perch on the stairs. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Darn it, deal with it! I'm sorry!"

Draco glared at her.

"You're really very annoying, you do realize that, right?"

"Speak for yourself." She retorted, sitting back down.

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, so the pitch is irritating you, too?" he inquired feigning innocence.

Ariay narrowed her eyes.

"Ever heard of duct tape?"

"Yes, and the notion sounds quite wonderful right now." He made sure to look directly at her as he said it.

"Agre-wait a minute, what exactly are you implying?" she growled.

"Exactly what it sounds like." Draco half-smiled at her.

"I-you…uh!" she started to stand when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down.

"I don't know where you think your going." He said aloofly, still holding her wrist.

"Let go!" she tried to free her hand but to no avail.

Draco laughed, his grip tightening.

"Shut up you-you…you big meanie-head!" she stuck her tongue out and slouched, not sparing another glance his direction. Her face turned scarlet.

"Meanie-head?" he raised his eyebrow in amusement. "Is that the best you could come up with?"

"Oh, shut up!" she looked towards Hagrid's cottage, trying her hardest to ignore Malfoy.

They sat in silence for a few minutes; the only sound was of distant footfalls heading towards the Great Hall. Ariay leaned her chin on her hand, and sighed. Draco still gripped her wrist, afraid she'd run off if he let go.

"You're rather silent." He said, watching her. She glanced back at him but said nothing. "Well? Nothing to say? A minute ago I couldn't get you to shut up."

She didn't reply.

"All out of childish, sarcastic, and apologetic comebacks, are we? No more irritating babbling to continue on with?"

Ariay seemed to shrink as he spoke.

He pressed his lips together in agitation, trying not to snap at her again.

"Ariay." He said her name like a command. "Ariay, stop this nonsense, you're acting like a child."

Another few minutes passed in silence.

Irritated, he grabbed her chin with his free hand and forced her to face him. She refused to look at him and tried to pull away.

"What gives you the right to do this?" she said shakily, her eerie golden cat's eyes wavered, turning to an earthy color; green and brown with slashes of gold and red in them. They looked human for once. "Stop it, Draco."

He couldn't stop staring, wondering why they changed colors. Then he saw how damp her eyes were, water gathering at the corners of her eyes.

He sat there, dumbfounded.

"Ariay…"

"Honestly, you're just like Bella! I can't see why the two of you can't get along sometimes! Of course, then I remember that Bella is Bella and that it was your Aunt Bellatrix who killed her mother, added to the fact that your father spreads gold about like it was Dragon Dung fertilizer, often working in direct competition of what she's trying to achieve and I know that the only reason she acts the way she does is because you act just like your father and it gets on her very last nerve, UGH! It's just so bloody complicated!" Ariay said this all rather quickly, leaving Draco more stunned than he already was. She was glad to have the spotlight off of her yet again.

"I-I'm really not like my father at all, I don't think. It's just, not everyone has the freedom Basilixs has to just act like that." He said, thinking of Bella's ability to interact with the Gryffindor's, while still ruling Slytherin house.

"But Bella isn't free." Ariay said, softly. She paused for a moment before continuing. "You see, Bella's father is a Gryffindor, and one of the prejudice ones. Bella hasn't told him about being sorted into Slytherin, yet. She's making alliances, for when she declares legal independence in our fifth year, your sixth year. If you want to do what Bella does, I know she'll be happy to help. She'll gripe a lot, and act like she'd rather curse you, but really, really, I think she'll be quite pleased, that you want her help, that is. I known she'll be happy to have you over at the manor. Your father shouldn't have any issue with it, especially if he thinks your faking it for an alliance."

"I wouldn't know how to ask her." Draco admitted, thinking about the incident earlier.

"I'll go with you, if you'd like. Bella will be in the library later, that's the best place to ask her. She won't hex you, or yell at you, Bella has to much respect for libraries." Ariay knew Bella better than anyone. If anyone could protect the Draco Malfoy that Ariay was seeing now, the Draco Malfoy she was determined to bring out more, it was Bella. Bella with her sarcasm, aptitude for disguise, literally thousands of connections all over the world, and multiple fortunes, she could do what few others could. And what Ariay believed she couldn't do…

Bella could change someone faster than Snape could complain.

Draco sat still, pondering what Ariay had said. It could work. He had seen Basilixs in action, he had seen it during the summer, when she shot down Umbridge's latest anti-werewolf law, the one that would have required that all werewolves register and be branded in order to get any job, or purchase the Wolf's bane potion. Ariay was right, if anyone could do it, it would be Basilixs. The question was, would she do it? Or would he be forced to do this on his own?

"I guess it never hurts to try." Draco said, tiredly.

"No, it doesn't." she smiled at him. "And even if she doesn't say yes…" she paused." Even if she doesn't agree to it, you won't be alone" She averted her gaze at that, blood rushing to her face.

Draco didn't reply right away, choosing to stare at her instead. He still cupped her face in his hand so she couldn't ignore him again.

"What's wrong?" Ariay said, confused. Her face grew hotter in his hand. Draco sighed.

"Ariay, I'm sor-" She put her fingers on his lips to silence him.

"Don't." she said. "You did nothing wrong."

He glared at her then, his anger about to get the best of him.

I _did nothing wrong? Is she crazy?!_

" Let's go get some lunch." Ariay said quickly. Draco nodded in tacit agreement and resignation.

"Um, can I have my hand back now?" she looked at him expectantly.

Draco felt his own face burn. He quickly let her wrist and face go.

They stood and headed towards the Hall. "I'll probably sit with Bella, she'll need to calm down some, and I do need to apologize for using her full name. I know how much she hates it, and while she probably was going to hex you, it wouldn't have been anything worse than a color-changing jinx. Just enough to make a few people laugh, it really didn't call for that."

"She seems very protective of you." He replied. He wasn't surprised. If someone tried to rob her, she'd tell them to say please and then hand over everything she had. Little fool.

"I suppose" Ariay said thoughtfully. "Bella really is wonderful. Infact I'm sure she-"

Draco groaned inwardly, not wanting to hear anymore of her babbling right then.

"Do you ever stop talking!" he drawled. He realized what he said and quickly sneaked a look at her.

"Nope" she said with a lopsided grin.

With that they walked into the Hall chuckling, while Ariay headed over to Bella, and Draco to Crabbe and Goyle.

"Hi Bella!" Ariay said cheerfully, as she plopped down beside Bella, who didn't answer immediately.

"Hello" Bella continued eating. Ariay sighed. She knew Bella was upset about the name though.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay. But I wasn't really thinking. I know you wouldn't really hurt him and I know you weren't thinking when you threw him into that wall, but I didn't want you to get into trouble and I didn't want him to get hurt, and then you were just so angry. I know why, of course, but that didn't make it any better, you know. But I really am sorry." Bella sighed and put her fork down.

"I know." She said with another sigh. "I really need to get over that, but it's really hard. You're right, I shouldn't have been so mean to Malfoy, but he acts so much like his father, it's hard to tell them apart sometimes. You know, with Harry, it's easy to tell him and his dad apart, even though all I have are dad's memories of James Potter. It's obvious, they're two very different people. But with Draco and his dad, it's the same hair, same clothes, same attitude, same everything!"

Ariay looked at Bella thoughtfully.

"I know it can seem like that, and perhaps some of it is true, but I think he wants to change that.

"Oh?"

"Well," Ariay paused, looking for the best wording, knowing that the moment she had started talking, Bella had erected a privacy shield, "We were talking, and it sounds like he's kind of jealous of you. Of how open you seem to be. I think, if we work together, we might be able to keep him off of Tom's side. I don't know, maybe I'm naïve, but, anyway, he said he'd ask you in the library later, so please be nice."

Bella paused. "I can do that. Honestly, if he's sincere, I think I could actually enjoy helping out."

"Of course you would." Ariay said, looking at her friend. "You're a lot nicer than you give yourself credit for. Serious, but nice" She smiled encouragingly at her friend.

"Mmm" She paused again.

A slow smile crept on her face. "Maybe you're naïve?"

Ariay mockingly glared at her friend. "You're just jealous of my superior colors." She said in a voice that sounded just like Bella's.

The duo burst into a fit of giggles.


	12. Business as Usual

In the Library…

Bella sighed. This was not going to be easy. Malfoy would be coming to talk to her in half an hour, she had an essay for Transfiguration due in three days, and she couldn't find the Wolf's bane potion. She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that a cure was right there, all it needed was another ingredient, a little more of one of the ingredients, or different cook times, but she wasn't really sure what it needed. If things got any worse, she'd have no other choice than to look in the Book of Merlin, the magic text written by Merlin himself for the betterment of education. It was once one of the most common books ever, but time (and to a greater extent, greed) had taken its toll, and there were now only two copies, plus the original copy that Bella owned.

"Basilixs." Bella looked up, barely managing to keep the shock off her face at Malfoy's quiet voice, which was not the bored drawl that she was accustomed to.

"Malfoy." She replied, careful to maintain a neutral appearance. "I have it on good authority that you have a proposition for me." Malfoy nodded and looked at someone over Bella's shoulder. Bella knew Ariay was there, offering silent support to the blonde.

"I want to be able to make my own decisions. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to do that. I need help, and I have it on good authority that if anyone can help me, it would be you."

Bella studied him. Nothing in his baring showed that he was lying.

"All right. Let's get to work then, shall we?" and for the first time ever, she smiled at him, really truly smiled at him.

Draco walked down the hall, lost in thought, but relieved. He was on good terms with Bella. Sure, she was a little...eccentric, but that was alright. She was nice when she wasn't threatening your life for one reason or another. And having Ariay there helped a great deal with the anxiety. She kept making funny faces at him, making Bella 'angry' because he couldn't keep a straight face a large part of the time. Bella had tried to be angry when she turned to find Ariay making the most ridiculous, obnoxious face yet, slightly mocking Bella's mannerisms in the process. She sent her away after that, and they both watched as the sulky red head moped over to Harry and tripped over a pile of books when she made a funny face at him. All three of them had to bite their tongues to keep from laughing.

Bella was in a good mood the whole night, which surprised Draco. He'd always seen the sarcastic, cold side of her. But he supposed it was because he had been rather nasty and he was after her closest, naive, silly family member. He understood perfectly her over protectiveness there. If someone ever tried to rob her, she'd beat them senseless, and then hand over the money, telling them that it is much more polite to simply say please and ask than to mug someone. Poor Bella, stuck with a ditzy motormouth.

"Boo!" a voice whispered from behind him, a hand gripping his shoulder. He jumped and spun around, grabbing the culprit by the wrists.

"Eeee!" she squealed as Draco came face to face with Ariay.

"Uh...hi" she said, her face two centimeters away. His refelction seemed distorted in her sunglasses.

Draco released her and composed himself.

"Hey." Draco began walking again

"See? That wasn't so bad, now was it?" she smiled, keeping pace next to him, adjusting her bag more comfortably on her shoulder.

"If you mean she didn't try to kill me and throw my body into the Great Lake, then yes." he replied.

Ariay laughed. "It'd be a pie, actually."

He raised an eyebrow but didn't respond. They walked in silence down the seemingly interminable hallway. Ariay was exhausted, it being a bit later than the usual time she went to bed, but she had wanted to be there for her sister and Draco. Draco as to not freak, and Bella as to not find some reason that peeved her to the point that Draco would end up in the infirmary. Her fears went unrecognized, however, as the two got along perfectly well without her.

"Ariay-!' BAM!

Ariay smacked into a hard, immovable structure and fell backwards, landing on her butt, her bag's contents, the bag having opened, fell out and were scattered around the floor. She looked dazed, blinked and shook her head. She looked up at Draco pathetically with a look of confusion, her face red. They stared in shock in their respective directions before Draco burst into a fit of laughter.

"Not funny" she growled, glaring at him through her mussed hair.

_She's so cute..._ He couldn't help but chuckle at her before offering his hand to help her up.

She stuck her tongue out at him childishly before pushing herself up.

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you." she began collecting her scattered belongings. He rolled his eyes and with a flick of his wand, had the papers, quills, and other school supplies in a neat pile in front of her.

"Show off" she muttered, stuffing the pile into her messenger bag. "Thank you."

They waited as the Grand Staircase rearranged itself and began the ascent to their houses. He grabbed her arm.

"Um, Draco..." she looked at his hand. He didn't relinquish his grip nor did he respond.

"Draco, can I have my arm back?" she tugged a little. He glanced over at her.

"No, you might fall down the stairs, kill yourself, and then I'll get hexed into the infirmary by Bella." he replied. "And if you do struggle, I'll let you go and laugh when you fall."

"But you just said-" he looked at her seriously. "Okay, fine." She sulked all the way to the Gryffindor Corridor. He let go of her in front of the portrait of The Fat Lady.

"Wait, isn't Slytherin in the dungeons?" she looked at him quizzically.

"Yes, but someone had to make sure you weren't going to kill yourself, Miss Klutz." He immediately let go of her arm and headed back to the Grand Staircase. She watched him until he disappeared around the corner.

"Wasn't that Mr. Malfoy, Ariay?" The Fat Lady asked, squinting after him.

"Um, yeah." Ariay said. "How are you tonight?"

"Fine, dearie...he's nicer than I thought he'd be after all the talk I've heard of 'em" she was fanning herself now. "Oughta get back to Violet, dearie."

"Wattlebird." Ariay said. The portrait swung open and Ariay slipped inside, more confused then ever.

Draco rushed down the Grand Staircase to the dungeons, slipping in quietly. He crossed the Common Room quickly.

"Out late, aren't we Draco?" a female voice asked casually. He turned to face the raven-haired sister of Ariay, sitting elegantly on a large green armchair, her snake wrapped around the chair, its eyes watching his every move.

"I said I want your help, not for you to act as my parent." he snapped. Bella gazed coldly at him for a moment.

"No need to be rude, Ferret," she said venomously. She stood, her snake wrapping around her quickly, her killing curse green eyes condescending and imperious. "There's one thing you should know about me, Mr. Draco Malfoy. I may have agreed to help you, happily, in fact, agreed to help you. However, I will NOT tolerate any harm of any sort being inflicted on Ariay. Ever. For various and mostly obvious reasons. If I find out you've done anything to hurt her, I will break any sort of relationship we have and destroy you, piece by piece and make you wish for death. No,_ beg _for death. I hope I have made myself perfectly clear. " She paused. "Good night, Mr. Malfoy, see you tomorrow morning."

She walked by him swiftly and up the steps to the girls' dormitory.

Draco stood there, unsure of how to react. If he did anything to hurt her, he could jeopardize everything he wanted to gain. But she was one of the reasons why he wanted it. And if he said something or did something, as he knew he was perfectly capable of doing, and hurt her, Bella would only be salt to the wound.

Draco really wanted to hate Ariay right then. But he couldn't.

He made his way slowly to his bed, threw his robe to the side, and climbed in. Closing his eyes, he attempted to divert himself with thoughts of school and his talk with Bella and Ariay's funny faces, and when she fell both in the library and in the hallway. And when he touched her. Every time he had her close. His hands tingled. All he could think about as he drifted to sleep was her face in his hand, his hands around her wrists, his hand gripping her arm...

This year was going to be a long year.

A Week Later…

The members of S&G Ltd. stood dumbfounded, as one of their own was carried, stiff as a rock, into the infirmary. The group was composed of members from every house, with a core group who had been there from the beginning. The core members were Bella, Ariay, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, Neville, Parvati and Padmé Patil, Colin, Arthur Draven (1st yr. Raven), Yvonne Chevee (1st yr. Snake), Wendella Whisp (2nd yr. Puff), Cedric Diggory, Luna Lovegood, and Draco. Bella had been surprised at how readily Draco was accepted into the group, but knew better than to complain (though she kept a close eye on things). She didn't worry too much, though. He was always being careful not to hurt Ariay, which meant behaving himself. Now though, the Core, Puffs, Ravens, Lions, and Snakes that made up S&G stood still, watching in mute horror as Colin Creevy was placed in a hospital bed, still as a statue. Bella stood next to Ariay, the most emotional of the group. She wasn't surprised to see her eyes look normal.

Some of the other students were crying, too. Many had come to see the excitable Lion cub as a brother, and all considered him to be a friend to some degree. For Bella, and many of the others, this meant War. The Heir of Slytherin, whoever (or whatever, Bella added, thinking of several very dark spells she knew) it was, had taken things too far. Draco was glad that Bella's temper was not directed at him, Ariay's as well. The Heir had made a mistake and now had two very intelligent, very powerful, and very angry witches after his blood. Unfortunately, Draco couldn't really bring himself to feel sorry for the bastard, whoever he was. After all, if he was nice, the girls might leave a piece of the jackass for him.

It did not take long, a hour at most, before all of S&G Ltd were walking the halls of Hogwarts wearing yellow silk roses, a symbol of friendship. Some wore them as bracelets, some wore them as pins, some wore them in buttonholes, and still others wore them as hair ornaments. Soon, Colin's best photographs were on display, each copy purchased came with a free yellow silk rose.

A few weeks later…

"We have to figure out who's behind this!" Draco exclaimed, sitting down on the edge of one of the tables with a sigh. Harry paused his pacing.

"No, really?" The sarcasm was palpable and Draco snorted.

"You're The Boy Who Lived, Mr. Special, you shoul-"

"This isn't getting us anywhere!" Ariay cried, jumping in to keep the peace, though between Ron and Bella, that peace was tentative, at best. "This ridiculous arguing is only hurting our chances of finding the...thing responsible for all of the trouble. We need to stick together, not tear ourselves up from the inside out."

Harry and Draco looked a bit ashamed at this.

"You guys, guess what!" Hermione came running in, holding a flyer and looking excited.

"Democles Belby is here to give a lecture about the Wolf's Bane potion and its effects?" Bella gave a random guess, secretly hoping it would be true, she had some questions for him. And glad they had a distraction.

"No. They're starting a dueling club!" She squealed some in excitement, causing Ariay to back away. "I'm so excited!"

Bella looked at Ariay warily.

"You don't think-"She began.

"They wouldn't have." Ariay replied confidently, "Would they?"

"They wouldn't do what?" Draco asked, now somewhat worried himself. They couldn't mean-

"They wouldn't let Lockhart teach it, right?" Harry answered, looking a tad green. "That'd be just awful."

Everyone but Hermione nodded in agreement, all, but Ariay, while secretly vowing to make the man's life even more miserable if it was him.

Bella and Ariay walked silently to the library, having a little free time before Potions Class. Bella's killing curse green eyes glinted angrily.

"Bloody Lockhart, ruining everything good with his tainted, disillusioned touch." she growled. "A dueling club! Oh wait, now we're going to screw it up by allowing Lockhart the Magnificent teach it."

"God bless us all!" Ariay remarked, grinning. "Let us pray. God help us, especially Bella, to not hex, jinx, curse, befuddle, harm, hurt, kill, or otherwise damage the poor, helpless Idiot who is to teach us. Amen."  
She nudged Bella.

"Amen." she said grudgingly, having been tricked into promising to not do anything to Lockhart.

﻿Ariay smiled at her friend and sister and hugged her tightly.

"We'll be fine."


	13. Of Bumbelbees and Opera

It was now December 15, and the dueling club was about to begin. Nyra slithered covertly to her mistress and told Bella that Lockhart was "in charge" but that Snape was there as well. Before Bella could advise a retreat, Lockhart entered in all his egoism. Bella grimaced at the foul taste in her mouth, just looking at the ponce made her stomach roll.

"Hello class! You all know me, and my assistant, Professor Snape. Now don't fear children, you'll still have your Potions professor when I through."

Bella and Draco both started coughing, while Ron snickered and Harry snorted. Lockhart looked concerned.

"Are you ill? Perhaps-" But Bella had gained her self control back, sort of.

"We're fine, Professor, but really, we have no doubt Snape will be in one piece at the end of this. It's you who'll need Madam Pomfrey."

"If only because you hurt yourself." Harry inserted, knowing Bella had planned on saying it anyway.

Lockhart looked unsettled, but gallantly (not) continued on before being knocked on his rear by Snape.

Had Severus Snape known that blasting the Ponce would make him this popular, he would have done it while the pansy was still in school. As it was, he now had the unfailing respect of the student body for making Lockhart look like the ass he truly was. Of course, several of the girls looked upset about this event, but they were something of a minority.

"Excellent idea, Severus, showing them that. Of course, to an experienced professional like myself, that was painfully obvious and HEHAW! HEHAW, HEHAW! What on earth?!" Ariay did her best to look innocent, but the smug look on her face was a give away. Luckily, Lockhart was too stupid to notice.

_**Oh, sure, I don't get to have any fun but you do.**_

_I didn't do any of the things I prayed to God about, just a quick charm, or something of the sort._

Bella shock her head, figures she'd leave a loophole for herself.

"Well, lets put you all in pairs. Disarm only!"

The whole Core group snorted. Soon the room had dissolved into chaos.

"I said Disarm only!" Lockhart was shouting as he attempted to restore order, something Snape did in an instant, with a loud shout.

"ENOUGH!" and all was quiet.

"Good, good. Um, now, um, how about a demonstration? How about Ron Weasly and Neville Longbottom." Lockhart said, cheerfully.

"I think not, Gilderoy, perhaps Potter and Avery?" He motioned to the boys. "On my count, gentlemen." Snape said, ready to shoot the sparks to start up. "Three, Two…" But Avery had already moved.

"Rictemsepra!" He cried, flinging the curse at Harry, who retaliated with "Furnuculus!"

Avery sent another curse, and Bella gasped.

"Serpensortia!" Out of Avery's wand came a snake, like a coil of black rope.  
"Not to worry, Potter, I'll take care of it." Snape drawled.

"No, allow me." Lockhart interrupted, and with a bang the snake flew up into the air before it hit the platform again.

"_Stop!"_ Harry yelled, as the snake turned towards Justin. It swung around to look at Harry. _"You will not harm anyone in the room. Come." _And with that, the snake coiled, quite calmly, around Harry's arm.

Everyone stared as Harry was forcibly dragged from the room by his friends.

"You're a Parseltongue?!" Draco exclaimed, as they dragged Harry down the halls.

"A what?" Harry asked, while trying to retrieve his arm from Hermione's iron grip.

"A Parseltongue! You can talk to snakes!" Ron explained, as they finally reached the S&G Ltd room.

"Well, yeah, I mean, I did set a boa constrictor on my cousin once, by accident. It was telling me that it'd never seen Brazil and-"

"A snake told you the it'd never seen Brazil." Ron echoed faintly.

"Yeah. Look, I'm sure loads of people here can do it." Harry said, a little upset at having been dragged through Hogwarts.

"No Harry, Parseltongue is a very rare gift. People are going to think that you're the Heir of Slytherin because of it." Hermione said softly.

"What?! But that's ridiculous! If I hadn't told that snake to leave Justin alone it would have-"

"Is that what you told it?" Ron asked, incredulously.

"Of course, you were there, you heard me."

"I heard you speaking Parseltongue, snake language."

"I was speaking another language? How can I speak a language without even knowing it." Harry was pale and shaking. The door opened and the students jumped. Only Bella and Draco relaxed when they saw Snape.

"Well, that was certainly interesting." He drawled, closing the door behind him. "It seems our celebrity is a parselmouth. Parseltongue is the language, Draco, not the ability."

"I- I"

"Articulate as always, Mr. Potter. But I understand this must be a shock. Very little is known about Parseltongue but as for how you can speak it without knowing, it's an instinct." Snape sat down, accepting a cup of coffee from Bella.

"What do I do now?" Harry asked, running a hand through his hair.

"Well, the best thing I can think of is to just ignore it. Let them see that you're not ashamed of being a Parselmouth and that you're not going to apologize for something you can't change. I'm sure I could get you a snake for a pet, if you wanted one. Lucinda's eggs should be hatching soon, and while they don't list snakes on the approved pet list, they haven't banned them either." Bella said, before turning to Ariay. "Can we talk for a moment, in private?"

"Sure." The two girls went to a corner of the room and cast a few privacy charms.

"What's up?" Ariay asked her usually calm friend, who was now fidgeting with her necklace.

"I want to help out, but I know there is no way I'd have the courage to do what I want to and-"

"Easy Bella. Tell me what you want to do, and I'll supply the support!" Bella smiled weakly.

"Alright then, here's my plan-"

Two days had passed since the Dueling club fiasco, and Harry was dealing with the animosity well. Of course, considering the way the Dursleys treated him, well, let's just say it wasn't all that surprising. The Hufflepuffs, even those in S&G were treating him as though he was the worst of the worst and Harry could hardly stand it anymore.

No one was prepared for what happened at dinner though.

It was not rare for Bella to arrive after dinner started; she was always working on something and often missed dinner entirely. Tonight, though, it was going to end badly, sort of. Ten minutes after dinner began, the door to the Great Hall were thrown open and there stood Belladona, her black hair down and falling about her face in gentle waves. She wore a dark green dress of medieval design with silver trim and small silver snakes embroidered on the bodice, Nyra curled around her neck like jewelry and for a brief instance Harry knew that this was a true Slytherin, she looked just like the portrait of Selena that was in the Headmaster's office. She stalked towards the Head table, before turning to look at the hall. She threw her shoulders back, displaying true pride, and cast a Sonorous.

"My name is Belladona Basilixs. I am a first year Slytherin, and I am up here to support a friend. How? Because my friend is Harry Potter, and he is a parselmouth. I am here to tell you that I too am a parselmouth, and I will not apologize to you for having this ability! I owe you nothing, least of all an apology. You people make me sick! You have no evidence beyond the fact that he can talk to snakes, and yet you accuse him of such a heinous crime as opening the Chamber! If you are going to slander him, then you must treat me the same way, and if you treat me like that, I will personally see you to the infirmary for a broken nose, understand? You don't have to like me, you don't even have to talk to me, but you will not treat me as though I have some terrible disease!" Bella glared before taking out her wand. "To Hufflepuff, I give you this,_ Buzzabumble_," and from her wand came a swarm of bees, each Puff having ten of them. "Do not attempt to use magic on them. It is a charm my mother developed, every time you gossip about someone, you will be stung. Using any magic on them will only increase the number of bees. Few people know the incantation, and even fewer know the counter. I'll reverse it when I see fit. It's easy to be loyal to someone who wears the same tie as you. Obviously, the Badgers aren't as loyal as was believed, for I know many of you thought of Harry as a friend, and yet you all have turned your back! To Lockhart, simple because I don't like you, _Operetta!_ Again, one of my mother's. I like this one though. Through out the week, you will randomly burst out into opera." Bella looked back at the hall. "You make me ashamed to be English! Fie! Fie! What fools! May you feel the sting of your ill considered words!" And with that exclamation, she seated herself next to Malfoy, who promptly stood and began to clap. Ariay joined in, as did Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the Twins. Soon half the Hall was clapping for Bella and Harry as Slytherin House and Gryffindor house agreed to an unspoken truce that would last till the years end, at least.

Harry marveled at the control Bella had over the Hall. She was the chess master, and they the pawns. He caught Bella's eye from across the Hall and saw the telltale sparkle that meant she was planning something. He wondered, really, what else she had planned, but at that moment he received a small green envelope with a note that said,

"_TMR Lies"_


	14. Wolf runs by moonlight

Ah, another chapter! Hooray! Please review, leave ideas, suggestions, anything! I might actually be getting over this writers block!

* * *

The next morning was filled with the hum of voices as everyone was talking about the incident the night before in the Great Hall. Bella, in her usual brusque manner, simply ignored the entire thing, her green eyes silently daring anyone to cross her.

Another humming filled the hall as well, as the poor Hufflepuffs dealt with their punishment. There were more bees at breakfast than there had been the night before. Apparently, the Badgers had not heeded Bella's warning…something she looked rather pleased about. Many sported small welts from being stung, and rumor had it that Madam Pomfrey was refusing to give them anything for it, saying she felt it was a just punishment for gossiping.

Lockhart had not yet made his appearance, but from time to time random Opera songs could be heard from somewhere within the castle.

Perhaps, then, it only makes sense to believe that Bella was, in fact, truly happy, as she sashayed through the halls of Hogwarts, head high and smirking, every bit a true Slytherin.

That evening…

Ariay watched the dying rays of the sun dance over the crystalline lake. The cold wind blew gently, brushing snow and playing with her hair. She knew she should be with the group, helping to get the S&G LTD room set up but…

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the smell of the crisp twilight air filling her lungs. She never did like closed in places, they never suited her, just as idle foolishness would never suit Bella.

Mreow.

Ariay opened her eyes to look at Arthos. He sat at her feet, looking up at her expectantly. She smiled.

"And what can I do for you my friend?" she said, crouching in front of him.

_A nice warm fireplace would be exceedingly nice. _His big green eyes looked hopeful.

She laughed.

"Of course."

He 'meowed' happily and leaped onto Ariay's shoulders.

"Not yet, Arthos." Ariay placed him on the ground gently and stood up again.

The cat cocked his head to one side.

_What are we doing, then, Mistress? _He yawned.

Ariay waited to reply, watching the sunset. Soon the stars lit up the dome of the sky. She took off her sunglasses and slid then into her robes.

"Are you afraid of wolves, Arthos?" she asked listlessly, staring at the twinkling heavens.

_No, Mistress. Why do you ask?_

Ariay turned her head to look at Arthos, her golden cat eyes gleaming eerily in the light of the moon.

"I feel like being a wolf tonight." As soon as she had spoken these words, a large black wolf stood tensed and poised in her place. When she moved, the muscles under her fur rippled powerfully.

Arthos gazed at her thoughtfully.

_Mistress, it may not be wise to wander as a wolf on the night of a full moon._

The wolf smiled, a set of long, white razor sharp teeth revealed.

_I'll be back soon._

She disappeared into the trees and darkness, keeping a steady pace. She wound around the lake, enjoying the feel of the wind through her fur. She hadn't been able to do this for weeks. She listened to the tiny scampering of small animals as they hid from her. A unicorn watched from the trees, glistening white like new fallen snow. She barked a happy hello. The wolf loped into the forest, dodging and winding through the trees, the snow beneath her paws soft. The night smelled clean and crisp and earthy. The moon lazily stretched across the sky, now, it's full splendor lighting the forest and castle in it's dazzling light, it's reflection dancing playfully across the still waters of the lake. As she neared the side of the lake closest to the castle, she could hear familiar voices. Ariay loped quietly towards them, hidden behind bushes.

Bella stood impatiently with her snake, ranting in Parseltongue.

"_That giiirlll_ _wiill be myyy_ _deathhh" _she hissed angrily.

"_Missstressss…" _the snake hissed pitifully, trying to calm Bella.

Ariay sent a quick mental flare to Arthos, asking him to come to her. She silently stepped out from behind the bushes and pranced up to Bella happily, her tongue lolled out. She nodded to Nyra. They generally got along, and played together once in a while, but Nyra was too serious sometimes, much like Bella.

"Where have you been, Ariay!!" she shrieked. Ariay put her tail between her legs and whined.

_I'm sorry, Bella…_

"You're sorry?!" she seethed.

_Please, Bella…I just wanted to run. I felt claustrophobic._

Bella sighed, annoyed. "I'm not mad that you weren't helping, and that you were out running, I'm upset that you disappeared without a word to me of where you were going. You had me worried sick! Honestly, you're like a child sometimes."

_I really am sorry, Bells_ She sat and wagged her tail sorrowfully, her large head cocked to the side. _Do you forgive me?_

Bella mumbled something unintelligible before picking her precious pet up, letting her wrap around her neck.

Ariay whined, her golden eyes pleading.

"Don't do that!" Bella cried. "Oh, alright…but you have to go to bed now so you won't fall asleep in potions again." Ariay jumped up and licked her face happily.

"EW! " She wiped off the dog slobber. "Disgusting!" But she smiled at Ariay.

_Must I go to bed now?_

"Ariay, don't push it." Bella growled.

Ariay transformed back into her human form.

"Oh, alright." She pouted as they walked to the castle. She slid her glasses onto her face again.

"When are you going to stop wearing those ridiculous things?" Bella said, confused at why she'd even want to.

"When I'm sure I won't scare the bejesus outta anyone." Ariay replied, pushing a piece of hair out of her face.

"It's going to scare Ron, no matter what." Bella stated matter-of-factly. "So you should get it over with. Besides, since when have you been ashamed of your eyes?"

"I'm not." She paused. "If anyone asks why I wear the sunglasses, I'll take them off, 'k?"

Bella shrugged. "If you _must _wear sunglasses, can't you wear something that looks good? Those are hideous and atrocious and belong in the trash or at the bottom of the lake."

"You sure you'd wanna do that to the poor mermaids?" Ariay asked, grinning.

Bella couldn't help but smile.

They walked in silence to the great castle door. Suddenly, Arthos appeared on her shoulders, looking tired and annoyed.

_You could've been kind enough to come get me, Wolf girl._

"I'm sorry, Arthos." She looked at him imploringly.

_Mistress, you shouldn't apologize for things so much…I'm simply agitated because you roused me from my nap._

Ariay shook her head. Even animals seemed to know her sensitivity to making anything unhappy. It was a nuisance.

"Good night, Bella." Ariay said to her silent friend.

"Good night, Ariay." She replied pleasantly, not looking at her.

"Sweet dreams."

Bella said something unintelligible as she walked away.

Ariay sighed and continued to the Gryffindor common room. Inside, she sunk into the big red comfy chair by the fire. Arthos was already curled in front of the fireplace, purring contentedly.  
"Where were you today?" a voice said from behind her. Ariay looked up to see Harry leaning on the back of the chair.  
"Homework." she replied, looking back at Arthos. She hated lying.  
"Oh." he paused, staring tiredly into the crackling fire.  
"You're welcome to sit, Harry." Ariay gestured to the couch. He shrugged but walked over and sat on the couch.  
He looked at her quizzically again. More specifically her sunglasses.  
"Its rather rude to stare, Harry." she teased, smiling slightly. Harry felt foolish.  
"Sorry." he replied. "You just never seem to go anywhere without those sunglasses on. It's rather curious."  
Ariay sighed, leaned toward him, and took off her sunglasses. Harry almost fell off the couch. Her cat eyes glimmered with amusement.  
She replaced the sunglasses and leaned back in the chair.  
"Ask and you shall receive, my child." she grinned wickedly, a strange likeness to Bella seeping out. Harry wasn't quite sure what to say.

Ariay's grin faded. " Harry, I'd rather no one else find out just yet."

He nodded.

"It's not that I care much about what people think, nor am I ashamed, but just imagine a less open-minded person reacting to my little secret, and you can imagine the chaos it could cause." Harry blushed a little, feeling more foolish. She smiled.

"I hold nothing against you for your reaction, Harry. I expected nothing less."

"I don't think you're a freak or anything, Ariay, you just caught me off guard." he paused thoughtfully. "And why show me, anyway?"

"You asked." she replied. "I promised Bells to show those who asked why I wore the glasses the reason, and so I have kept my word. Thus far."

The two fell into a comfortable silence, both losing track of time as they contemplated.

"Good night, Harry." Ariay was standing over him, making him jump. "Sorry."

He stood, nodding to her.

"Good night, Ariay." she grabbed his arm as he turned towards the boys dormitory.

"Where i come from, we give the people we care about hugs. " she opened her arms. Harry stood there, dumbfounded. First Bella's kindness, now this...he wasn't sure how to react. Ariay laughed musically.

Covering the foot of distance between them, she wrapped her arms around him in a quick embrace. He returned it, and then they parted.

"You'll get used to it." she promised. "If Bella can, you can."

She began the assent to her bed.

"Ariay?" she half turned.

"Thanks."

She smiled, waved, and disappeared up the flight of steps.


End file.
